Guwahati: In a momentous achievement, Meghalaya has proudly received the second runners-up award at the ‘ODOP Awards 2023,’organised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. This accolade recognises the state’s unwavering dedication to promoting the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative.
The ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Utsav’ and ODOP Awards ceremony was inaugurated by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. The awards intend to celebrate the incredible efforts of states, union territories, districts and Indian missions in fulfilling the vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ through the ODOP initiative.
On receiving the award, 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.”
Chief Minister Sangma added that the government of Meghalaya extends its gratitude to the DPIIT and the Ministry of Commerce for acknowledging and appreciating the state’s efforts.
Meghalaya Commissioner and Secretary Vijay Kumar D, who received the award on behalf of the government of Meghalaya, 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 recognised 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,” Commissioner and Secretary Vijay Kumar D added.
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.
The state government also actively supports unique branding, introduces new technologies, conducts gap analysis, arranges exposure visits and facilitates capacity-building workshops. Notably, Meghalaya has successfully exported the GI-tagged Khasi mandarin oranges to Dubai recently, establishing valuable market connections.