Andhra Pradesh won six out of the 12 district awards of One District - One Product (ODOP-2023), including the top two gold prizes — one for Uppada Jamdani sarees from Kakinada district and one for Araku Coffee from Alluri Sitharama Raju district. A total of 538 districts from across the country had applied for the awards.
The award ceremony took place at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, where External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal presented the accolade to the district collectors and other officials on Wednesday (January 3), according to Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary K.S. Jawahar Reddy.
Ponduru Cotton sarees from Srikakulam district and Kodumur Gadwal sarees from Kurnool district won bronze prizes while Madanapalle Silk sarees from Annamayya district and Mangalagiri sarees from Guntur district won special mention awards.
The State won five out of six awards in the non-agriculture products category. In fact, Andhra Pradesh applied for only one agriculture product category and won gold in it. It is a matter of great pride that 50% of the district awards were clinched by Andhra Pradesh, observed Chief Secretary K.S. Jawahar Reddy. Out of the six awards won, five are in handloom products.
While announcing the awards, Mr. Jaishankar mentioned that he was a strong proponent of Araku Coffee and that he often gives it as gift.
The ODOP initiative is aimed at fostering a balanced regional development across all districts in the country. The initiative aims to select, brand and promote at least One Product from each district to enable holistic socioeconomic growth across all regions.
The awards were instituted by the Department for the Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry to acknowledge the extraordinary work done by states and union territories, districts and Indian Missions abroad for the economic development of the State and towards the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
All 26 districts from Andhra Pradesh had applied for the awards. Fourteen products, including handlooms, handicrafts and agriculture products, were shortlisted. Subsequently, the selection committee came down to Andhra Pradesh, visited these 14 districts and verified the documentation.
Initially, it was announced that 10 awards would be presented to states, but this was later revised to 12, comprising two gold, two silver, four bronze and four special mentions.
On this occasion, Guntur Collector M. Venugopal Reddy said the exquisite Zari design, particularly the Nizam Border, exemplifies the intricate work that characterises products from Mangalagiri sarees and fabrics. Acknowledging their outstanding quality and cultural importance, Mangalagiri textiles had been bestowed the prestigious Geographical Indication Tag, making them a cherished symbol of Guntur district, the Collector added.
