Aiming to promote traditional industries synonymous with various districts of the state, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath would formally launch Rs One district, one product’ (ODOP) scheme of UP Diwas on January 24. ODOP is expected to give a major push to traditional industries by creating effective institutional infrastructure and providing them enabling environment to flourish. The scheme also includes the promotion of Khadi and village industries which has huge potential for creating fresh jobs.

The ambitious scheme for promoting traditional craft and small and medium industries is being launched a month before the two-day Rs UP Investors Summit, 2018’ from February 21. The government pulled all stops to bring investment in the state and was all set to lay the red carpet for national and international investors at the summit.

“UP is uniquely famous for product-specific traditional industrial hubs across 75 districts. This include Varanasi (Banarasi silk saris), Bhadohi (carpets), Lucknow (chikan), Kanpur (tannery industry and leather goods), Agra (leather footwear), Aligarh (locks), Moradabad (brassware), Meerut (sports goods) and Saharanpur (wooden products) and handloom and power looms in eastern districts,’’ said an official associated with formulation and implementation of the scheme.

The Chief Minister espoused the ODOP theme and referred to it at various platforms to underline his pro-industry and pro-employment agenda. The state government wants to help district-specific industries and products gain national and international recognition through branding, marketing support and easy credit.

On January 24, Yogi willlaunch ODOP along with the logo on UP Diwas. The event would have a trade fair showcasing collective might of its traditional industries and its large micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) base. ODOP is basically a Japanese business development concept, which gained prominence in 1979. Over time, it has been replicated in other Asian countries as well.

Yogi had announced the launch of the scheme in November last year while releasing election manifesto for Urban Local Bodies elections in the state. The concept was included as part of MSME policy for 2017.

The proposal stated that the concept would be developed and every effort would be made to ensure recognition for products both nationally and internationally. The policy has adopted many salient features from industrial investment and employment promotion policy.

One such feature is that MSME department would also ensure facilities for private sector if a company sets up an industrial park and estate on a 20-acre land. In the industrial policy, the facility is provided for minimum of 100-acre land.

Minister for Khadi and Export promotion Satyadev Pachauri said that a textile industry buyer-seller meet would be organized ahead of the UP Investors Summit in Lucknow.

The meet would feature international buyers and export houses, apart from textile products of Lucknow, Sitapur, Varanasi, Bhadohi, Unnao and Agra.

The minister said that the state government was coordinating with Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Srijan Yojana to provide loan sanction letters to about 1,100 entrepreneurs.

The launch of ODOP would serve as the prelude to UP Investors’ Summit in Lucknow on February 21-22. Under ODOP, an expert panel would be set up at district level to encourage enthusiastic entrepreneurs. Stamp duty exemption up to 100 per cent would be given to those who set up MSMEs in Bundelkhand and Purvanchal and 75 per cent to those in Madhyanchal and Paschimanchal except Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida) and Ghaziabad in western UP.