Two flower-shaped silver items, their easy and chic central design speckled with lapis lazuli blue—the gulabi meenakari cufflinks and an identical brooch, the latter with a peacock motif, have been chosen with care earlier than Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted them to US President Joe Biden and US first woman Jill Biden on the G-7 summit in Germany in late June. Then there have been the items of black pottery, polished to a subdued gleam and searching as distinguished as objets d’artwork from the palace of an historical potentate. The recipient was Japanese PM Fumio Kishida. Others leaders like French president Emmanuel Macron, Italian premier Mario Draghi and German chancellor Olaf Scholz acquired ornate zari zardozi embroidered packing containers, marble inlay desk tops and handmade tea units. The golden thread that stitches these treasures collectively is that they have been all created solely by Uttar Pradesh’s artisans, working underneath Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s bold programme to revive conventional craft—the ODOP (One District One Product) scheme. It has not solely given a fillip to uncared for crafts, the scheme has additionally set the tone for a gradual enhance in exports from UP. It comes underneath the MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) division.
Two flower-shaped silver items, their easy and chic central design speckled with lapis lazuli blue—the gulabi meenakari cufflinks and an identical brooch, the latter with a peacock motif, have been chosen with care earlier than Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted them to US President Joe Biden and US first woman Jill Biden on the G-7 summit in Germany in late June. Then there have been the items of black pottery, polished to a subdued gleam and searching as distinguished as objets d’artwork from the palace of an historical potentate. The recipient was Japanese PM Fumio Kishida. Others leaders like French president Emmanuel Macron, Italian premier Mario Draghi and German chancellor Olaf Scholz acquired ornate zari zardozi embroidered packing containers, marble inlay desk tops and handmade tea units. The golden thread that stitches these treasures collectively is that they have been all created solely by Uttar Pradesh’s artisans, working underneath Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s bold programme to revive conventional craft—the ODOP (One District One Product) scheme. It has not solely given a fillip to uncared for crafts, the scheme has additionally set the tone for a gradual enhance in exports from UP. It comes underneath the MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) division.
Graphic: Tanmoy Chakraborty
All this exercise has seen UP’s exports enhance by a whopping 80 per cent in worth previously 5 years. Traditionally-made ODOP merchandise have performed a number one position—70 per cent of the merchandise exported from the state come underneath its ambit, based on state authorities info. In 2017-18, the worth of UP’s exports was Rs 88,967.4 crore; it’s Rs 1,56, 897.2 crore for 2021-22. Even through the pandemic, the state’s exports noticed an increase of 30 per cent, largely pushed by (each the web and offline) sale of ODOP merchandise. The scheme, began in 2018, has not solely protected the livelihood of artisans, but additionally gave them the explanation and perception to revive conventional crafts that have been nearing extinction. It additionally stopped a lot of their practitioners from migrating to different states.
In Azamgarh’s Nizamabad city, over 200 artisans now make pottery. Their numbers had fallen to twenty earlier than ODOP took impact
Sohit Prajapati, a 42-year-old black pottery artisan primarily based in Azamgarh who earlier bought bhel-puri in Mumbai, returned in 2017 to his wheel. At one stage, Sohit contemplated a transfer again to Mumbai, however stayed on when demand for his ware, and income, shot up after he registered with the ODOP scheme. Under it, Sohit acquired monetary help and assist in promoting his merchandise on nationwide and worldwide platforms. Sohit says his revenue has tripled previously 4 years. Nowadays, he has orders from a number of international locations, together with the US and UAE. In Azamgarh’s Nizamabad city, over 200 artisans at the moment are engaged in making black pottery. Their numbers had dwindled to twenty earlier than the ODOP scheme took impact.
The turning level
Manoj Vishwakarma, a 36-year-old Varanasi-based sixth-generation gulabi meenakari—a GI-tagged artwork type—artisan tells india as we speak that after seeing many fellow artisans quitting, he nearly determined to observe swimsuit. From a nadir in 2018, when gulabi meenakari work nearly floor to a halt in Varanasi, the turnaround within the lives of artistes like Vishwakarma was miraculous. Here, too, the credit score goes to ODOP. Vishwakarma’s enterprise simply took off after he acquired monetary help and steering from consultants by means of ODOP. “Earlier, we used to do gulabi meenakari on products like hand-made peacocks, and idols of gods. Through experts, we got to know how to fashion cufflinks,” he says with delight.
The ODOP scheme was launched by Yogi Adityanath on January 24, 2018 to make product-specific conventional hubs in every of UP’s 75 districts. Its goal is the safety, progress and revival of native handicraft and experience, thus stopping migration to city centres due to the shortage of employment. In all, 62 conventional crafts have been recognized.
According to Navneet Sehgal, additional chief secretary, MSME, “ODOP is reviving traditional handicraft and has helped increase the state’s exports. We have the largest number of MSMEs in the country, the majority in the unorganised sector.” Sehgal provides that whether or not it’s carpet weaving, wooden carving or leather-based work, artisans working in these previous industries are being inspired to get on board on-line platforms in an effort to achieve publicity to a wider market. Common Facility Centres (CFCs), which offer staff with a spread of assist, are to be arrange in all districts.
Sunil Kumar, joint commissioner, ODOP, explains: “The government provides a 25 per cent subsidy on loans distributed under this scheme and trains artisans. CFCs are playing an important role in the development of these products. A CFC has all the facilities required for grading, packing and storing ODOP products under one roof. We have five centres, 28 more are sanctioned. Ernst & Young are project consultants of the scheme and have conducted studies of all districts/ products. They suggest innovations to artisans so that their products gain traction on international platforms.”
The state authorities signed an MoU with e-commerce web site Flipkartwork in 2020 to promote ODOP merchandise on the web site, having earlier tied up with Amazon. ODOP officers say that merchandise value Rs 1,600 crore have been bought by means of Flipkart previously two years. ODOP additionally has its personal on-line platform to promote merchandise. The UP Handicrafts Development and Marketing Corporation has launched an e-marketplace,www.odopmart.com, to promote them. ODOP has tied up with the Quality Council of India to standardise high quality in addition to with the National Institute of Fashion Technology to enhance design. For Yogi Adityanath, “ODOP is a symbol of UP’s heritage.” The chief minister makes it a degree to present reward hampers of ODOP merchandise to particular visitors so far as doable.
The ODOP scheme is successful, however some districts want a leg-up. The up leather-based trade’s issues have to be fastened too
Ashfaq Ali, a resident of Sitapur, who works as an artisan at a CFC, talks of how he was earlier in Panipat, making cotton dhurries. But after getting a job right here, he’s staying put. His colleague Karimullah, who spent eight years in Panipat, says, “I came to Sitapur during the lockdown. After a few weeks, I got the same sort of employment here.” Hayat Kausar, secretary of CFC Sitapur, claims that such centres are serving to artisans to remain on. “Sitapur is famous for dhurries. For making dhurries, we now have advanced machines like the twister for doubling the threads, Jacquard for designing and tufting for the final design,” he says.
Though the ODOP scheme has taken off splendidly, it’s not an unqualified success, since some districts nonetheless want a leg-up. Then there may be UP’s all-important leather-based trade. Though export of leather-based items is projected as an necessary a part of ODOP, the trade primarily based in and round Kanpur is going through a number of challenges. These vary from a paucity of expert labour to lack of design capabilities and the unavailability of high quality and low-cost equipment. Sehgal says, “We are solving the issues of tannery owners and connecting them more with ODOP buyers. As leather is in huge demand, they can make up for the losses during the pandemic.” Sehgal additionally mentions the newly launched OSOP (one station one product) plan on the strains of ODOP. Under this, railway stations throughout UP will function promotional hubs, showcasing the state’s ODOP scheme. As a part of this initiative, ODOP merchandise of respective districts will likely be displayed on the most-visited platform of all railway stations in that specific district. For instance, if a prepare is passing by means of Ayodhya district, all its railway stations will show the ODOP merchandise of Ayodhya. In this fashion, these districts that also want assist in the promotion of their merchandise will likely be lined, provides Sehgal. The beautiful craftsmanship on show in ODOP merchandise deserve each assist. n
