One District One Product- Districts as Export Hubs (ODOP-DEH), Products with Export Potential Identified from All 765 Districts

OPOD Initiative Merged with ‘Districts as Export Hub (DEH)’ Initiative: One District One Product- Districts as Export Hubs (ODOP-DEH) Initiative is an important government scheme aims at promoting the individual products from various districts in the global market. One District One Product (ODOP) Initiative is important for UPSC Prelims Exam 2023 and UPSC Mains Exam (Government schemes and Initiatives).

ODOP-Districts as Export Hubs Initiative in News

Recently, the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Shri Som Parkash said in reply to a parliamentary question informed that under the ODOP- Districts as Export Hubs initiative, products with export potential have been identified from all 765 districts of the country. Earlier, the ODOP initiative was operationally merged with ‘Districts as Export Hub (DEH)’ initiative of the DGFT, Department of Commerce, with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as a major stakeholder.

ODOP- Districts as Export Hub (DEH) Initiative

The idea is to select, brand, and promote one product from each district (One District – One Product) of the country for enabling holistic socioeconomic growth across all regions.

• About: One District One Product – Districts as Export Hubs Initiative (ODOP – DEH) is an initiative aimed at fostering balanced regional development across all districts of the country.
  • Department of Commerce through DGFT launched the “Districts as Export Hubs” initiative to channelize the unique potential of each District of the country and convert them into export hubs.
• Ministry: Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce is the parent ministry for “Districts as Export Hubs” initiative.
• Implementing Agency: Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) is the nodal agency under Department of Commerce for implementation of DEH Initiative.
• Significance: Through DEH initiative, Government is significantly increasing the manufacturing and exports from urban areas while focusing on generating interest and economic activity in the rural hinterland to push new businesses to export.

Objectives of Districts as Export Hub (DEH) Initiative

Objectives of the District as Export Hub initiative is as under

• To enable MSMEs, farmers and small industries to get benefit of export opportunities in the overseas markets.
• To shift focus on District led Export Growth for self-sufficiency and selfreliance
• Attract investment in the District to boost manufacturing and exports
• Provide ecosystem for Innovation/ use of Technology at District level to make them export competitive
• Reduce transaction cost for the exporter at various stages of export cycle
• Handholding and assistance to exporters by doorstep delivery of timely and relevant information
• To generate employment in the District
• Providing platforms for wide and global reach of products and services from the district through E-commerce and Digital marketing. Promoting Artisans, Farmers, Handicraft, Handloom, tourism and other cottage industries.

Implementation of ODOP-Districts as Export Hubs Initiative

ODOP-Districts as Export Hubs initiative is working with manufacturers/producers across districts along verticals like design, production, manufacturing, packaging, and market creation to boost sales both in the domestic as well as international market.

• Institutional Mechanism: Department of Commerce through Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has been working with the States/UTs and the districts directly to create institutional mechanisms to facilitate exports of identified products/services from the districts.
• Identification: Under this initiative, products and services with export potential have been identified in 734 districts of the country in consultation with all the stakeholders including the States/UTs.
• Districts Export Action Plans have been prepared for identified products and services for overseas markets.
  • District Export Action Plans also includes specific actions required to support local exporters / manufacturers in producing/manufacturing identified products in adequate quantity and with the requisite quality, for reaching potential buyers outside India.
• Goal: The aim is to benefit both producers and manufacturers by addressing challenges for exports of such identified products/services, identifying infrastructural bottlenecks, supply chain gaps, improving market accessibility and handholding for increasing exports.

ODOP- Districts as Export Hub (DEH) Initiatives at Global Level

• Engagement with Indian Embassies: Facilitated the procurement of ODOP products by multiple Indian Embassies for gifting and placement including the Indian Embassy in Croatia, Nigeria, Argentina, etc.
• Export Training Workshop: The ODOP-DEH Initiative in collaboration with the Department of Post organized the first Export Training Workshop on 11th January 2023.
  • Training included basic requirements for exports along with major market opportunities.
• Lakadong Turmeric, West Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya – Facilitated a consignment of 30 tonnes of Lakadong Turmeric from Shillong, Meghalaya in February 2022.
• Indo-Japan Mango Festival, Tokyo, Japan -As a result of sustained efforts by the Embassy of India, Tokyo, Japan, and the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) – trade promotion for Indian mangoes in Japan has been undertaken under two editions of ‘Mango Festival of India in Tokyo, Japan’.
• Walnuts, Budgam, Jammu & Kashmir (26th September 2021) – Initiative in partnership with JKTPO facilitated import substitution of over 2000 KGs of walnuts from Budgam, Kashmir to Bangalore, Karnataka on 26th September 2021.
• Sui Dhaaga: India-Russia Buyer Seller Meet for Textile Products (22nd September 2021) – Initiative in partnership with the Embassy of India, Moscow held a buyer-seller meet on textile products focussing on rayon and polyester.
• Multiple ODOP products were displayed at the World Economic Forum held from January 2023 at Davos in Switzerland.
• ODOP also showcased and supported the celebration of the International Day of Yoga (IDY) at the at Times Square in New York on June 21, 2022 in collaboration with the Consulate General of India, New York.

Initiatives Envisaged – District as Export Hub

The envisaged initiatives in the District as Export Hub include the following-

One District One Product (ODOP) Initiative

• About: Central Government has initiated One District One Product (ODOP) in all States/UTs of the country, as a transformational step towards-
  • Realizing the true potential of a district,
  • Fueling economic growth,
  • Generating employment and rural entrepreneurship,
  • Taking us to the goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
• Mandate: The ODOP Initiative is aimed at fostering balanced regional development across all districts of the country, enabling holistic socio-economic growth across all regions.
• Objective: The objective is to focus on District of the country as unit for converting into a manufacturing and export hub by identifying products with export potential in the District.
• Implementation: The Department of Commerce is engaging with State and Central Government agencies to promote the initiative of ODOP, which is an on-going process.

Key Achievements of One District One Product (ODOP) initiative

• ODOP GeM Bazaar: The ODOP GeM Bazaar was launched on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) on 29th August 2022 with over 200 product categories created on the platform to promote sales and procurement of ODOP products across the country.
• Promotion in International Market: ODOP products are showcased in various International forums such as World Economic Forum, DAVOS in May 2022, at International Yoga day (IYD) in New York, US in June 2022 etc.
• Awards: The ODOP initiative has been identified for the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration in Holistic Development through One District One Product (ODOP) category in April, 2022.

ODOP- Districts as Export Hub (DEH) FAQs

1. What is ODOP- Districts as Export Hub (DEH) Initiative?

Ans. ODOP- Districts as Export Hub (DEH) initiative is an initiative aimed at fostering balanced regional development across all districts of the country.

2. How many districts have been covered under ODOP- Districts as Export Hub (DEH) Initiative?

Under this initiative, products and services with export potential have been identified in 734 districts of the country in consultation with all the stakeholders including the States/UTs.

3. Who is implementing the One District One Product- DEH Initiative?

Ans. Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) is the nodal agency under Department of Commerce for implementation of DEH Initiative.

Integration of One District One Product (ODOP) initiative with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)

Integration of One District One Product (ODOP) initiative with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)

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