Maarg Manthan · Topic 14.7

One District One Product (ODOP) Scheme

Current Affairs & Government Schemes › Industry, MSME and Startup Schemes · Topic 14.7

One District One Product (ODOP) is an initiative of the Government of India, driven by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, to select, brand and promote at least one product of each district so that local products reach national and export markets. The idea began as a state scheme in Uttar Pradesh in 2018 and was taken national under Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat. DPIIT has listed over a thousand ODOP products across more than 700 districts, as reported, and has merged the effort with the Districts as Export Hubs initiative of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Current Affairs & Government Schemes · Industry, MSME and Startup Schemes

At a Glance

Full form One District One Product (ODOP)
Origin Uttar Pradesh, 2018
National lead DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Export link Districts as Export Hubs, DGFT
Food link PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises
Recognition ODOP Awards for districts, states and missions
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Current Affairs and Government Schemes: Industry, MSME and Startup Schemes

Where Does It Fit?

This topic is about promoting local products district by district. It follows the topics on MSME registration and leads into the policy that tried to raise manufacturing as a whole. Previous topic: Udyam Registration Portal for MSMEs. Next topic: National Manufacturing Policy.

What Is ODOP and How Does It Work?

Feature	Details
Core idea	Pick one distinctive product, craft or crop of each district and give it a brand, quality, market access and finance
Origin	The Uttar Pradesh government launched the One District One Product scheme in 2018 to support local crafts and agri products, such as Banarasi silk or Firozabad glass
National adoption	DPIIT took the idea to all states and Union Territories, with products listed in an ODOP portal and state nodal officers
Export link	ODOP was merged operationally with the Districts as Export Hubs initiative, with District Export Promotion Committees preparing export plans
Food processing link	The Ministry of Food Processing Industries uses the ODOP approach under PMFME, so that micro food units are supported for one product per district
Awards	National ODOP Awards recognise districts, states and Indian missions abroad for promotion of local products

Which Schemes and Tools Support ODOP?

Districts as Export Hubs: a Directorate General of Foreign Trade initiative that builds export plans for district products with state and district committees
PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises: a centrally sponsored scheme of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries launched in 2020 for micro food units, which uses the ODOP idea for common infrastructure and branding
Geographical Indication tags: GI registration protects distinctive local products, and many ODOP items already carry a tag
Common facility centres: shared testing, packaging and branding help small producers, often through cluster schemes, as in SFURTI Scheme (Traditional Industries)
Online markets: listing on the Government e-Marketplace, ONDC and e-commerce platforms to reach buyers
Credit: MSME loans and credit guarantee for units, as in Udyam Registration Portal for MSMEs
Foreign missions: Indian missions abroad promote ODOP products and compete in the awards
Regional brands: states add their own marks, fairs and showrooms, such as emporia and craft melas

What Else Should You Remember?

Policy lineage: the push for local brands is linked to the vocal for local call in 2020, as in Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan
Coverage: as reported in late 2025, over 770 districts and more than 1,200 products were listed on the DPIIT portal, though counts change with updates, so the latest portal figure should be used
Export planning: earlier reports said export plans were prepared for hundreds of districts and adopted by district committees in a smaller number
Awards: the National ODOP Awards for 2024 drew over 600 applications and conferred 34 awards, as reported, with Indian missions in Singapore, New York and Vancouver among winners
Link to Make in India: ODOP is part of the effort to spread manufacturing beyond big cities, as in Make in India Initiative
Types of products: handloom, handicrafts, agricultural produce, food products and small manufactured goods
Benefits to artisans: better prices, branding and market links, and a case for protecting heritage skills
Criticisms: a single product can hide the diversity of a district, producers may stay small, and the scheme depends on state capacity and market access, which is uneven
Challenges: quality standards, packaging, finance, logistics and weak brand building by tiny units
Way forward: cluster-level common facilities, GI and quality certification, online sales skills and a data base that is updated with sales and export results

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

Meaning: one product per district, a district-level focus approach
Origin: Uttar Pradesh in 2018 and then adopted nationally
Nodal agency: DPIIT at the Centre, with DGFT for export hubs
Links: PMFME, GI tags, Districts as Export Hubs
Common errors: calling it a scheme of the Ministry of Rural Development or linking it only to agriculture

As an analytical point, ODOP builds on what a district already does well and cuts the risk of picking winners from above. It succeeds when branding, quality and market access are delivered together, and not only when a product list is published.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Prelims Origin and nodal agency are asked as facts
Mains Regional balance and export promotion
Linkage Joins MSME, GI tags and food processing

What Came Next?

The next topic covers the national policy that aimed to lift manufacturing to a quarter of GDP. Next topic: National Manufacturing Policy.

Key People and Terms

ODOP One District One Product
DEH Districts as Export Hubs
DEPC District Export Promotion Committee
GI tag Geographical Indication
PMFME Micro food enterprise scheme
Common facility centre Shared processing facility

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Started as a Uttar Pradesh scheme in 2018.
National lead: DPIIT.
Merged operationally with Districts as Export Hubs (DGFT).
Food version: PMFME, launched in 2020.
ODOP Awards recognise districts, states and missions.

Do Not Confuse With

ODOP and One Nation One Ration Card Local product promotion versus portable food ration entitlement
ODOP and PMFME General district product policy versus the food-processing scheme using it
ODOP and GI tag A promotion framework versus an intellectual property right

Memory Hook

One district, one product, one brand, one export plan.

Mains Angle

Questions ask about regional development and local brands. These points give a balanced frame.

Merits Local jobs, brand building, exports
Limits Narrow focus and weak scale
Way forward Clusters, GI, quality, digital sales

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Evaluate the One District One Product initiative as a tool for balanced regional development and export growth.”

How to Answer

Intro Explain ODOP and its origin.
Merits Branding, exports, local jobs.
Limits Single product, scale, finance.
Way Common facilities, GI, digital markets.

GS Relevance

Prelims: ODOP meaning, origin, nodal department, link to export hubs and PMFME. GS Paper 3: regional development, MSME clusters, export promotion, food processing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is One District One Product (ODOP)?

One District One Product is an initiative to select and promote at least one signature product of every district, such as a craft, crop or food item, through branding, quality, finance and market access. DPIIT leads it nationally, and it began as a scheme in Uttar Pradesh in 2018.

Which ministry runs ODOP?

At the national level the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry leads ODOP. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade runs Districts as Export Hubs, and the Ministry of Food Processing Industries applies the ODOP approach under PMFME.

Where did the ODOP idea start?

The idea started in Uttar Pradesh in 2018, when the state announced a scheme to promote one product from each district, including Banarasi silk, Firozabad glass and Moradabad brassware. The Centre later adopted the approach for all states and Union Territories under its Make in India effort.

How is ODOP linked to exports?

ODOP was operationally merged with Districts as Export Hubs, a DGFT initiative. District Export Promotion Committees prepare export plans for district products, handle problems of first-time exporters, and work with state committees to connect local producers to foreign buyers.

What is the link between ODOP and PMFME?

The PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises scheme, launched in 2020 by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, uses the ODOP approach, so support for micro food units is given around one chosen product per district, including common infrastructure, branding and marketing.

What is the latest status of ODOP?

As reported in late 2025, the DPIIT portal listed more than 1,200 products across over 770 districts, and the National ODOP Awards continue to recognise districts, states and Indian missions. Figures change as lists are updated, so the DPIIT and DGFT portals should be checked.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 The ODOP idea began as a scheme in Uttar Pradesh.

True

It began in 2018.

2 DPIIT leads ODOP at the national level.