India’s major shift towards ‘Made by India’ approach and a solid step forward in achieving the objectives of Atma Nirbhar Bharat
By Zia Darakshan
The COVID-19 pandemic presented an opportunity for the country’s leadership to restructure its economy, unlock untapped potential and promote self-sufficiency. Prime Minister Narendra Modi seized the moment on May 12, 2020, when he launched the ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.’ The initiative aims to revive the industrial sector and assist farmers, migrant workers and others in need. In response, state governments have also announced their own measures to stimulate economic activity in their respective regions. ‘AatmaNirbhar’ represents a major shift towards ‘Made by India’ from the earlier ‘Made in India’ slogan. ODOP Initiative Set To Boost J&K’s Economy.
As part of India’s push towards self-reliance, the government has launched the ‘One District, One Product’ initiative under the AatmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. The initiative aims to boost local economic and socio-cultural growth, create employment opportunities, and promote the export of locally-made products. With 761 districts across the country included in the scheme, it is expected to carry export promotion of over 1000 products.
Jammu & Kashmir’s economy is set to receive a boost through this initiative, as 21 local products from 20 districts of the Union Territory have been selected for export promotion. The idea of One District One Product has its roots in Japan’s One Village One Product concept that gained popularity in 1979. The ODOP initiative in India builds on this idea and aims to make products locally, from scratch to finish, instead of relying on global companies operating in India. This marks a significant shift towards the ‘Made by India’ approach.
The One District One Product (ODOP) scheme is set to bring balanced regional development to all districts in India while also driving economic growth across sectors. The scheme aims to achieve this by promoting local businesses and scaling up manufacturing, with a view to identifying potential foreign customers. Ultimately, the goal is to turn each district in India into an export hub, specializing in the product for which the district is known.
ODOP is a key initiative under the ‘AtmaNirbhar Bharat’ vision, which seeks to boost self-reliance and resilience in the Indian economy. By focusing on the country’s crafts, agriculture, and food products, the scheme has the potential to position India as a dominant player in the global market.
At the district level, ODOP provides local economies with the support and business environment necessary for systemic growth and recognition. The scheme also has the potential to preserve and develop local crafts and traditional arts, which are a crucial part of India’s rich heritage. Overall, ODOP is a solid step forward in achieving the objectives of ‘AtmaNirbhar Bharat’ and creating sustainable economic growth across India.
The One District One Product initiative has several advantages, including:
• Supporting micro-enterprises: The initiative provides access to information, exposure to the market, and formalization, which can benefit numerous micro-enterprises. This can help them grow, become competitive in national and global markets, and generate skilled and semi-skilled jobs. The scheme also aims to increase access to credit for existing micro food processing entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurs in Aspirational Districts.
• Boosting local artisans and vendors: By better integrating with organized markets, the initiative can boost the artisans and local vendors. Increased access to common services like sorting, grading, processing, packaging, and storage can be an added advantage.
• Supporting infrastructure, branding, and marketing: ODOP products are provided with support for infrastructure, branding, and marketing. If there is support for branding and marketing at the regional or state level, products that are not part of the ODOP may also be considered.
• Enhancing quality and preserving traditional products: The initiative aims to increase the quality of traditional products to meet international standards and enhance the skills of traditional artisans. Once local products in a district are in demand, it can lessen the migration of locals for employment and increase income. The initiative can also help preserve and promote the country’s cultural diversity globally.
• People’s support: The success of the initiative depends on people’s support to achieve the objectives envisaged under the scheme.
The One District One Product initiative has the potential to support the growth of micro-enterprises, boost local artisans and vendors, support infrastructure and marketing, enhance quality, and preserve cultural diversity. With the support of the people, this initiative can bring economic prosperity and balanced regional development across all districts of the country.
In the context of globalization, local sectors of the economy, particularly handicrafts, can benefit greatly from initiatives such as One District One Product (ODOP). These sectors often face challenges such as lack of access to credit, technology, and integration with the supply chain, as well as compliance with safety standards. Strengthening these aspects through ODOP can reduce wastage, create job opportunities, and help the government achieve its objective of doubling farmers’ and local artisans’ income.
The ODOP initiative provides a dependable channel to enable local products to reach national and international markets. By boosting exports, the initiative becomes a rich source of foreign exchange, helping to fund imports and strike a balance of payments. Additionally, ODOP can support import substitution, particularly in sectors such as horticulture, floriculture, and dairy, where the potential for domestic production is enormous.
The One District One Product initiative has the potential to support the growth of micro-enterprises, boost local artisans and vendors, support infrastructure and marketing, enhance quality, and preserve cultural diversity. With the support of the people, this initiative can bring economic prosperity and balanced regional development across all districts of the country.
It is important to note, however, that import substitution should not come at the cost of exports. Pursuing the AtmaNirbhar Bharat mission requires equal focus on exports, as exports are a source of foreign exchange that can be used to import essential technology and machinery for domestic industries. A strong export policy can go a long way in achieving the AtmaNirbhar mission while also enabling import substitution.
The ODOP scheme will ensure export promotion and import substitution are on the same page, pooling local economies at the national level to scale up the country’s economy to a global level. Pursuing a balanced approach to imports and exports will help achieve the goal of self-reliance and lay the foundation for a resilient domestic industrial set-up.
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of this newspaper.
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