From Tradition to Transformation: The Role of Odop in Reshaping Uttar Pradesh’s Economy

The aim of this scheme was to correct regional imbalances, importance to skill based employment in order to reduce rural unemployment and to revive dying crafts by stimulating sustainable local economic growth by focusing investment in rural areas. The state has a strong rural based socio- economic landscape but there are various challenges faced by the traditional industries in the state resulting in extinction of many artisanal craft and increase in rural migration. ODOP has tried to balance the economic growth of the state by generating employment and production at local level and in rural areas in order to transform the regional economy and eradicate the problem of unemployment and migration. In the year 2018-19 only 57.69% budget was sanctioned out of the budget provision and 42.28% was utilized out of the sanctioned budget. This ration doubled in the year 2022-23 98.10% budget was sanctioned out of the budget provision and 98.25% was utilized out of the sanctioned amount of the budget which shows the fast progress of the scheme in the state. Training to the local people has also increased many folds from 5944 in 2018-19 to 21000 in 2022-23. The annual growth rate of all products under ODOP also has a substantial growth of 5.77% from the period of inception 2017-18 to 2024-25. The product wise annual growth rate in export shows highest growth of Sports Good and Equipment at the rate of 15.85% and export of Wood Crafts at the rate of 12.70%. The lowest annual growth rate of export of Meat and Edible Meat Offal is at the rate of 4.87% and for Glass and Glass ware 4.88%. The highest employment generation under ODOP was 146.36% in 2020-21 over the previous year 2019-20. The study shows that the scheme a steady progress in the state providing employment opportunities to the local artisans and has made a substantial growth in the economy of the state.