Indian State Of Uttar Pradesh (UP) Partnering Amazon To Aid Local Artisans

The Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) is pioneering efforts to promote one unique traditional art/craft/product from each of the 75 districts of UP with its One District One Product (ODOP) programme. The state is known for its unique products like the ancient and nutritious ‘Kala Namak’ rice, the rare and intriguing ‘Wheat-Stalk Craft’, world-famous ‘Chikankari’ and ‘Zari-Zardozi’ work on clothes, and the intricate and stunning horn and bone art that uses the remains of dead animals rather than live ones, a nature-friendly replacement for ivory. Many of these products are Geographical Indication (GI) tagged making them specific to that region of UP.

Recently, CEOWORLD magazine spoke with Navneet Sehgal, Principal Secretary, Department of MSME & Export Promotion, Uttar Pradesh to find out how they aim to achieve the goal.

“We are partnering brands like Amazon to connect local artisans to the world” – Navneet Sehgal

Tell us about the ODOP Programme?

Through ODOP, the State Government aims to nurture the 75 identified products through government handholding, by providing much required support in areas of finance, marketing, production, policy, and technology. To create a congenial environment for these products, the State Government has already launched several schemes such as Common Facility Centre (CFC), Market Development Assistance (MDA), Margin Money Scheme, and Training and Toolkit Distribution Scheme.

What are the key objectives of the programme?

The programme aims to:

• Preservation and development of local crafts / skills and promotion of the art
• Enhancing in the income-level and increase in local employment
• Improvement in product quality and skill development through training programmes
• Assistance in key areas – technology, skill development, infrastructure, and finance
• Resolve the issues of regional imbalance
• Increase overall exports of the selected ODOP products

What kinds of efforts have been made to enhance the overall ODOP eco-system?

We have signed a MOU with prominent organisations to address the key requirements of the eco-system. Like – Amazon (India) , NSE, BSE, Quality Council of India and Bank Of Baroda.

Tell us about the Margin Money Scheme?

The scheme is aimed at promoting self-employment among ODOP artisans/ workers by addressing access to finance issue – by lending margin money (ranging upto Rs. 20 lacs), through formal banking system. The incentive ranges from:

S.No Project Cost (Rs. In Lakhs) Margin Money Subsidy

1 Up to 25 25% of the Project Cost or a maximum of Rs. 6.25 lakhs, whichever is less
2 More than 25 to up to 50 20% the Project Cost or a maximum of Rs 6.25 lakh, whichever is high
3 More than 50 to up to 150 10% of the Project Cost or a maximum of Rs. 10 lakhs, whichever is high
4 More than 150 10% of the Project Cost or a maximum of Rs.20 lakhs, whichever is less

Have you read?

# Best CEOs In The World 2019: Most Influential Chief Executives.
# World’s Best Countries To Invest In Or Do Business For 2019.
# Countries With The Best Quality of Life, 2019.
# Most Startup Friendly Countries In The World.