Shillong, Jan 3: Meghalaya bagged the second runner-up award for the state’s unwavering dedication to promoting the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative at a function organised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade in New Delhi, on Wednesday.
The award ceremony was inaugurated by External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar.
The awards intend to celebrate the incredible efforts of states/UTs, districts, and Indian missions in fulfilling the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat through the ODOP initiative.
Commissioner and Secretary, Government of Meghalaya, Vijay Kumar D accepted the award on behalf of the Government of Meghalaya.
Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma said, “The award is a motivation for our farmers and skilled artisans, who are making efforts to get their unique products showcased on the national and international platform. Our success in the ODOP Awards is attributed to the strategic initiatives, mission mode programmes, unique brand creation, Geographic Indication (GI) tagging, and robust marketing strategies. The Government of Meghalaya extends its gratitude to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade and the Ministry of Commerce for acknowledging and appreciating the state’s efforts.” Dr. Vijay Kumar D said, “This recognition is a testament to the hard work and resilience of the people of Meghalaya. We are committed to building a self-reliant India by showcasing the unique products our state has to offer. This award motivates us to continue fostering innovation, quality, assurance, and global collaborations for sustainable growth across different sectors. It is indeed a great honour for our state to be recognized among the top three states at the ODOP Awards 2023.The state’s focus on building Agri-value chains, ensuring quality assurance, and fostering global collaborations has enabled its ODOPs to compete on a global scale.” Meghalaya is dedicated to promoting ODOP products through a range of initiatives.
The government is raising awareness about ODOP schemes, ensuring quality standards for identified products, improving infrastructure for production and sales, and implementing specific registration processes.
They also actively support unique branding, introduce new technologies, conduct gap analyses, arrange exposure visits, and facilitate capacity-building workshops.
Notably, Meghalaya has successfully exported Khasi Mandarin to Dubai, establishing valuable market connections.
