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ODOP stall UP int’l trade show turns crowd-puller
The ODOP stall at UPITS 2024 showcases artisan success stories, reviving traditional crafts and boosting local businesses with government support.
The One District One Product (ODOP) stall at the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show (UPITS) 2024 in Greater Noida is turning out to be a crowd-puller. Once forced into oblivion due to neglect, ODOP artisans are now sharing their success stories at the trade show that got under way on September 25 and will continue till September 29.
Sohit Kumar Prajapati of Azamgarh was a street vendor in Mumbai where he used to sell bhelpuri. Specialising in black pottery, a family tradition for generations, Sohit faced tough times in Mumbai. Kumar returned to his home town during the Covid pandemic. With government backing, Sohit’s traditional business of black pottery was revived. He even had the opportunity to represent his craft in Switzerland.
Today, at the UPITS-2024, Sohit’s flourishing business stands as a testament to the success of the ODOP scheme. Banda district is famous for its jewellery crafted from “Shazar” stones. Dwarika Prasad Sharma of Banda, who has long been involved in the trade, recalls a time when Banda boasted of 80 factories dedicated to this craft. However, due to neglect, this traditional craft almost became extinct and only three factories survived.
“In 2017, the Yogi government stepped in, breathing a new life into the fading business by including it in the ODOP scheme. With the support of loans, subsidies and government-provided stalls at various exhibitions, the industry began to recover,” said Sharma.
“Shazar” stone products even gained international attention when PM Narendra Modi gifted them to G-7 dignitaries. “Thanks to this government’s intervention, the business has since grown by 50 to 60 percent,” said Sharma whose stall at the trade show is drawing huge crowd.
The glass handicrafts stall at the ODOP pavilion is gaining attention from visitors. Stall operator Pratish Kumar, who has been in the business since 1990, recalls how in earlier days, very few people knew about his craft.
However, with the Yogi government’s promotion of the business under the ODOP initiative, people became familiar with this craft. Customers began using his products to adorn their homes.
Pratish Kumar received a loan of ₹5 lakh from the state government which allowed him to purchase machinery and expand his business. Kamal Ahuja from Banda district shares a similar story. Running a stall featuring millet-based cookies at the ODOP pavilion, Ahuja thanked the state government for its support.
Ahuja sources millet and jowar from local farmers to produce sugar-free cookies and with a loan from the government, he invested in packaging machines. Today, his products are exported to Dubai, Nepal and Bhutan.
On the first day of the trade show, even Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath visited his stall.
Shipra Sharma’s stall has become a point of attraction at the trade show. She has creatively fused Madhubani, Lippan and Mandala art on discarded bottles, drawing applause from visitors. Shipra, who began practising Lippan art as a hobby seven years ago, turned her passion into a thriving business with support from the state government.
She credits the Yogi government for promoting women entrepreneurs and allowing her to showcase her products at the trade show, opening doors for future growth. The Divyang Development Society, an organisation supporting deaf and mute children, has also seen remarkable progress under the Yogi government.
Manpreet Kaur, a representative of the society, shared that these children prepare handmade candles and other products, which are now drawing attention at a trade show—marking their first participation in such an event.
Manpreet credits the Yogi government for it. These children were honoured with the Rani Laxmibai Award in 2018. In the same year, the government arranged training in Singapore for 20 Divyang children from the organisation.
