The one district, one product scheme was launched by the government of Uttar Pradesh in 2018 and was later adopted by the Central government because of its success. The scheme aims to identify a product in which a specific district specialises and then help brand and promote the product. This way, every district in the state will become an export hub.
It helps increase employment opportunities in rural areas and fosters economic and social-cultural growth. This is the first step towards our country achieving its ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ vision. After identifying the product, the government helps the business by scaling manufacturing, identifying foreign customers, and providing capital for the business to expand.
There is a specific criterion for ODOP identification, and if the business fulfils the criteria, the government then provides support through subsidies, branding and marketing.
One such ODOP success story is from Jhansi –
Soft Toys, Jhansi – Sons Warsi Toys is a soft toy manufacturer from Jhansi (UP), and they used to produce three to six toys daily. After being selected under the ODOP scheme with the help of support from the government, they started producing 50 – 80 toys daily. Their monthly sales rose to around 1.5 lakh rupees.
Soft toys were selected as the ODOP product in Jhansi because more than 50 soft toy companies are operating in the district. Additionally, the Indian Toy industry is well-known around the world.
