Srinagar,
Jul30, 2022: With the
vision to promote sustainable trade and create market linkages, a mega
buyer-seller meet was organized on 30th July 2022 at SKICC, Srinagar, under the
One District One Product initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry
and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry in association with
Jammu & Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO).
Mr. Vivek Bharadwaj IAS, Additional Chief Secretary Industries
& Commerce, highlighted the various strengths of J&K that plays a vital
role in giving a boost to our economy by the way of exports, he also emphasized
the bottlenecks in trade and market. He underlined the importance of following
up even after the BSM is completed. BSM allows sellers to understand market demand
through buyers.
Delivering the keynote address at the Buyer-Seller
Meet, Smt. Sumita Dawra, Additional Secretary, DPIIT GoI, spoke about
harnessing the immense potential of ODOP products by extending market access.
She emphasized the world-class quality of Kashmiri products and discussed ways
to address challenges to facilitate trade.
Dr. Devansh Yadav, IAS MD, JKTPO, spoke about the potential
of the exquisite products of Handicraft & Handlooms and the importance of
e-commerce,also the relevance of the ODOP initiative in achieving the goals of
AatmanirbharBharat!
Director Handloom & Handicraft Kashmir, Mr. Tariq
Ahmad Zargar, JKAS enlightened the gathering about the different products and
their potential market. He deliberated on the supply chain hurdles faced by
traders/artisans during the COVID-19 pandemic and such initiatives by the
Government in promoting Handicraft & Handloom products will mark a new
chapter in boosting the morale of the artisans & weaver society.
The Jammu and Kashmir Buyer-Seller Meet is building
new synergies by connecting more than 40 sellers to 15 buyers from major brands
and creating new market linkages for products of Handicraft & Handlooms
which include Pashmina shawls, papier mache, walnut wood carving, silk carpets,
basoli Painting and much more.
The Buyer-Seller Meet witnessed the presence of
different national brands like Reliance Retail, FabIndia, Pashmina.com, Oma
Living, etc. having their products available in over a million retail outlets
across the world. Sellers, Traders, Farmers, and Aggregators from various
districts of Jammu & Kashmir showcased their products that are unique to
the valley including the world-famous Kashmiri saffron, Hand-knotted carpets,
Pashmina shawls, Kashmir Willow bats, crewel, and more.
This BSM is a direct outcome of the vision of
‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self Reliant India). DPIIT, under its initiative of One
District One Product, VocalForLocal, is committed to promoting and expanding
market access for Jammu & Kashmir's wide range of unique handloom &
handicraft products. With multiple interventions such as industry engagement,
buyer-seller meets, e-commerce onboarding, & assistance in the registration
& certification of goods, the ODOP initiative is creating new synergies for
Jammu & Kashmir's exquisite products.
The Buyer Seller Meet provided a platform where
different Government departments and institutions came together to boost the
trade of selected products. Jammu & Kashmir agriculture, horticulture, and
industries department worked together to bring quality products as per market
requirements and it was imperative to connect these best-in-class products with
renowned brands to improve earning potential of artisans and farmers. Focused
trade discussions were facilitated between the buyers and sellers resulting in
the signing of 30 Letters of Intent for handicrafts& handloom products
amounting to INR 10.50 crores.
Alongside the Buyer-Seller Meet, an e-commerce
onboarding session was also held by one of the leading e-commerce players in
the country in order to support J&K-based sellers to expand trade into
web-based sales. As a result, 20 sellers were onboarded on Flipkart, and 15 are
in process. 15 sellers are onboarding on Etsy- an International e-commerce
platform for Handicraft&Handloom products.
With an aim to put Jammu and Kashmir on an accelerated
socio-economic growth phase, various similar events are planned across sectors
to connect the stakeholders.
The government has been organizing many buyer-sellers
meets, training and capacity building, trade fairs, and other programs to
uplift the economic condition of artisans & weaversin J&K. With an aim
to put Jammu and Kashmir on accelerated socio-economic growth phase, various
similar events are planned across sectors to connect the stakeholders.