The One District One Product Initiative Showcases 700 Indian Products
Cardamom Tea – Saffron – Blue Pottery – Coffee and Much More
CG Randhir Jaiswal with Joint Secretary Manmeet Nanda
[dropcap]W[/dropcap]e all know India has an infinite amount of wonderful products from spices to foods to crafts and textiles but do we know what part of the country they really come from? The closest I’ve come to understanding that is when I visit the Cottage Industries Emporium in Delhi or Handloom House in any of the big cities, where you actually get to see the origins of each product. Well, this year the products trekked to America and we got a quick understanding of a new initiative which ties products to the states which create them.
The Consulate General of India in New York, in partnership with the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and Invest India, held a Roadshow on One-District-One-Product (ODOP) on 12th of July, 2022. The show was attended by the food, hospitality, textiles and business sectors, as well as members of the community.
Consul General Randhir Jaiwal spoke about the importance of the ODOP initiative and detailed the uniqueness of the products, from Araku coffee, with its distinctive texture, flavor and aroma, to the SIMFED turmeric from the organic state of Sikkim.
[dropcap]J[/dropcap]oint Secretary from DPIIT, Manmeet Nanda spoke about the ODOP initiative and its vision. She elaborated that the whole idea of the initiative is to showcase unique products from different district of India, and that this stems from the mandate of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, focusing on a resilient India that is recognized as a brand globally. Nanda highlighted that more than 700 products with a unique quality and a large export potential have been identified till date. Each product tells a story – a story of creation, craftsmanship, tradition, custom, and people. Today, India’s unique products have ties all over the world. Farmers in Jammu and Kashmir sell walnuts to distant countries like Europe, and international brands sell Indian Pashmina stoles.
Different products from different parts of the country were showcased, ranging from cardamom tea, millet pasta, saffron, ginger flakes and more. From the north, the range extended from walnut wood carvings to Basohli paintings. From the state of Rajasthan, items of blue pottery were displayed. From the North-East, the variety consisted of coffee, jewelry, and special silks such as Eri Silk and some non-violent silk products. (The non-violent silk items are so called as their production does not involve harming of silk worms.)
This is just the beginning and the community will be kept informed on the availability of these products and ways of promoting them to the American mainstream as well as Indian-American community.
