The government’s One District One Product (ODOP) initiative, aimed at promoting one product from each district for balanced regional development, should be integrated with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), to bring buyers and sellers together on a democratic platform, Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said while delivering his address after unveiling the unabridged ODOP Gift Catalog containing 300-plus products, and the ODOP Storefront on GeM (Government e-Market) on Monday.
ONDC is an initiative aimed at promoting open networks for all aspects of exchange of goods and services over digital or electronic networks.
Goyal said the G20 summit, set to take place in India soon, would be a great opportunity to showcase ODOP Products. He suggested that G20 delegates be given an exposure to ODOP products through well curated exhibitions of quality ODOP products and tours of craft villages.
The ODOP storefront on GeM went live with 75 categories covering products from across states and UTs, an official statement issued by the Commerce & Industry Ministry said.
“The purpose of the storefront is to enable direct procurement of ODOP products for gifting/ office use by various line ministries, government bodies, and foreign missions abroad. This will enable an international audience for India’s rich and diverse products,” the release said.
On the success of ODOP in several states like Uttar Pradesh, the Minister said convergence or ‘samanvay’ is a critical factor that would propel the success of ODOP. He proposed that flagship government programmes such as Startup India, Make in India and districts as export hubs be converged with the vision of ODOP. He asked all the ministries to help expand the mandate of ODOP through complementary initiatives. “The Minister asked Ministries, Departments and other government bodies to consider ODOP products exclusively for gifting purposes, both within and outside India,” the release stated.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade Secretary, Anurag Jain, highlighted the ways in which the ODOP initiative was working to transform the lives of artisans, women, craftsmen, and farmers.