Lucknow: After the tremendous success of ‘One District, One Product’ (ODOP), the Uttar Pradesh government is now set to launch ‘One District, One Cuisine’ (ODOC) to showcase the state’s diverse culinary heritage.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday announced that the ODOC initiative will give each district a unified identity based on its signature dish.
Chairing a high-level meeting on Friday, the Chief Minister said Uttar Pradesh’s food traditions — from the halwa of one region to the dalmoth of another — reflect the cultural soul of the state.
He stressed that each district’s speciality dish must be followed by improvements in quality, hygiene, packaging, branding and marketing so that local cuisines can be transformed into strong marketable brands.
Yogi Adityanath said that ODOP and ODOC together will give Uttar Pradesh a new push “from local to global.”
The successful ODOP scheme, which has become the hallmark of Brand UP, is now entering its next phase as ODOP 2.0, aimed at elevating local industry, self-employment, and exports to new heights.
He noted that with changing global market trends, modern consumer demands and advances in technology, ODOP needs to evolve into a more comprehensive, professional and outcome-driven framework.
Officials informed the meeting that since its launch in 2018, ODOP has emerged as the backbone of the state’s export ecosystem. Under the scheme, over 1.25 lakh toolkits have been provided, loans exceeding Rs 6,000 crore have been sanctioned, and more than 8,000 entrepreneurs have received direct marketing support.
They said 30 Common Facility Centres (CFCs) have been approved, 44 ODOP products have been geo-tagged, and ODOP goods now feature prominently on major e-commerce platforms, contributing over 50 per cent of Uttar Pradesh’s total exports. The initiative has also won national awards for the second consecutive year.
Calling ODOP 2.0 a “powerful tool” for sustainable employment, local enterprise and export growth, the Chief Minister said more focus must now be placed on scaling up units and entrepreneurs who excelled in the first phase. He emphasised strengthening UP’s products on four fronts — technology, packaging, quality and market access.
The Chief Minister also directed that Common Facility Centres be made more effective by involving experts who can provide small entrepreneurs with end-to-end support for technical consultation, design, packaging and production under one roof.
He further instructed that ODOP products be mainstreamed into major retail networks and modern markets rather than remaining confined to traditional outlets. Dedicated ODOP centres will be set up in Unity Malls across various states, and communication will be initiated with leading retail chains to ensure prominent display of products from Uttar Pradesh.
(IANS)
