Kupwara, Jan 11: Jammu & Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO) on the directions of Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Prashant Goyal, is engaging with all the districts of the Union Territory to promote local ODOP and creating awareness regarding the advantages of selling their products on the Government’s e-Marketplace and other e-commerce platforms.
JKTPO in collaboration with Invest India and district administration Kupwara on Wednesday successfully concluded the onboarding drive of ODOP products on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) for walnut exporters, FPO, entrepreneurs, traders of this north Kashmir district at the DC office complex.
Walnut is the ODOP of district Kupwara under the District as Export Hub Scheme/ODOP initiative. Jammu & Kashmir accounts for more than 98% of walnut production in India. Locally known as “Doen”, walnuts of Kupwara are naturally organic as no sprays and fertilizers are used in their cultivation. The onboarding will open the government market for ODOP products, mostly for gifting and souvenir purposes during major government events, conferences, and summits, especially in view of various G20 meetings to be held across the country in 2023.
During the drive, all the participants were made aware of the benefits of GeM onboarding given by industrial experts from JKTPO and Invest India. Around 20 participants attended this onboarding drive. The participants who were onboarded on the GeM platform won’t be charged any caution or security money.
The event was graced by the officers of DIC and officers from the DC office, Kupwara. This is the third district-level drive for the onboarding of ODOP products on the GeM platform organized by JKTPO in a row after Ganderbal and Budgam.
This drive is the result of the initiative taken by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce who have informed all States/UTs that “ODOP Products” are to be onboarded on the GeM portal and “District Collectors” has been designated as OEMs to facilitate the GeM portal onboarding drive at the district-level. Artisans, farmers, FPOs, artisan organizations, SHGS, small entrepreneurs of “ODOP Products” can get onboarded on the GeM portal without any fees and GST.
Pertinently, GeM was launched by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India is the national public procurement portal for an online, end-to-end marketplace for open, efficient and transparent procurement of goods and services by central and state government organizations.
