President opens 'One District One Product' Summit in UP

President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday inaugurated 'One District One Product' Summit organised by the Uttar Pradesh government to promote traditional industries in every district of the state.

The President reached the state capital this morning at Chowdhury Charan Singh airport, where he was received by Governor Ram Naik and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

During the summit, with a tagline of 'Nayi Udaan, Nayi Pehchan', the President distributed loan sanction papers to some artisans.

Loan papers amounting to Rs 1,006.94 crore are to be distributed to 4,085 artisans from 75 districts in the summit.

The summit, which aims to give boost to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), will be a corollary of the UP Investors Summit held in the state capital in February this year, followed by the groundbreaking ceremony for the launch of 81 projects in July.

The ODOP scheme seeks to promote traditional industries synonymous with their respective districts to spur local economy and create jobs, said MSME and Khadi and Village Industries Minister Satyadeo Pachauri.

About the objective of the ODOP, he said its aim was to optimise production, productivity and income, preservation and development of local crafts, promotion of art, improvement in product quality and skill development.

During the event, the state government will sign memorandum of understandings (MoUs) with e-retailor giant Amazon for marketing of products of artisans, and Quality Control of India (QCI) that will ensure quality of products.

Besides, MoUs were exchanged with Wipro GE Health care, National Stock Exchange and BSE.

Amazon will train the artisans and small entrepreneurs of several districts, including Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Allahabad, Ferozabad, Moradabad, Agra, Kanpur, Meerut, Bhadohi and Varanasi, in getting their products listed on its marketing platform.

During the summit technical sessions on handloom, textiles craft, tourism, agro and food processing, credit and finance will be held.

The ODOP Summit is stated to be the first of its kind in the country and is expected to give a big boost to the MSME and handicraft in the state, Pachauri said.

UP is uniquely famous for product-specific traditional industrial hubs across 75 districts, including Varanasi (Banarasi silk sari), Bhadohi (carpet), Lucknow (chikan), Kanpur (leather goods), Agra (leather footwear), Aligarh (locks), Moradabad (brassware), Meerut (sports goods) and Saharanpur (wooden products).