With an aim to take India’s ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative to a new high, the Ministry of Railways has launched ‘One Station One Product’ (OSOP) scheme over Indian Railways. The initiative will provide a market for local and indigenous products in order to support the marginalised sections of society by giving them an opportunity to generate additional income.
Under the scheme, the government allots OSOP outlets at railway stations where local sellers can feature indigeneity of their products. These units are capable of giving high visibility and exposure to local products. The pilot of the scheme had begun last year in the month of March and as on 1st May 2023, a total of 728 stations stand covered with 785 OSOP outlets in 21 States and 3 Union Territories across India. According to official data, the number of cumulative direct beneficiaries is 25,109 (as on 1 May 2023).
More about OSOP
OSOP refers to unique items that are specific to a particular region. These products include diverse range of goods and products made exclusively by indigenous communities, such as handlooms produced by local weavers, renowned handicrafts like wood carving, chikankari embroidery, and zari-zardozi work on garments. The products also include locally grown and processed or semi-processed food items like spices, tea, coffee, etc.
In the Northeast region, OSOP Stalls offer Assamese Pitha, Traditional Rajbongshi Dress, Jhapi, local textiles, and Jute Products (such as caps, Gamocha, and dolls). In Jammu & Kashmir region, the popular products are Kashmiri Girda, Kashmiri Kahwa, and Dry Fruits. South India OSOP stalls showcase cashew products, spices, and Chinnalapatti Handloom Sarees, which attract the attention of travelers. In the Western part of the country, notable products include embroidery and zari-zardozi works, Coconut Halva, locally grown fruits, processed foods, and Bandhani garments.
We have set up many such stalls in Eastern Railway in which we are promoting local handicrafts. We have decided that this year we will conduct such programs in many more stations”, said Kaushik Mitra, CPRO Eastern Railway.
Under the OSOP scheme, products are categorised as follows –
1 – Handicrafts/ Artefacts
2 – Textiles and Handlooms
3 – Traditional Garments
4 – Local agricultural produce (including Millets)/ Processed/semi processed foods.
The initiative is a positive development for the country, which has been making a lot of efforts to bring the cultural heritage, lost arts and traditional imprints of India back to life. It will not only help locals to have a good source of extra income but will also result in increased tourism, increased GDP and better exposure to craftsmanship, artwork and local textiles.
The OSOP appears to be an employment generator turning lives of many artisans & leading the per capita income even at its best level of the society. The subsidence wage earners thus get a chance for a better living and educate their children providing even luxury goods to their family members, which in turn influences the business cycle resulting in more frequent rotation of both money and products in the economy boosting the economy further”, said CPRO Kaushik Mitra.
WhatsApp us