With the onset of October, Bharat steps into the vibrant festival season of Navratri, Durga Puja and Diwali. The festive atmosphere lights up the local markets with people shopping for gifts, clothes, food and sweets. Apart from the celebration of Bharat’s rich cultural heritage, these festivals also offer a great opportunity for galvanising the businesses, especially the small and medium enterprises (SMEs), artisans and local manufacturers.
It is the perfect time of the year for celebrating the ‘vocal for local’ movement initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Vocal for local is not just a media campaign. The Modi government is taking concrete steps to promote local entrepreneurs by providing beneficial policy decisions as well as generating positive social awareness.
The One District One Product (ODOP) initiative aims at identifying unique products from over 761 districts across Bharat and promoting them on national and global platforms. From the terracotta craftsmanship of Gorakhpur to the Pashmina shawls of Kashmir, the ODOP initiative promotes regional economic growth and also preserves cultural heritage. In Uttar Pradesh alone, the exports have soared to Rs2 trillion under this scheme.
The Modi government has set up GeM (Government e-Marketplace) portal for public procurement. It is an open and transparent platform that provides easy access for local businesses and vendors, to the government buyers. Launched in 2016, the GeM portal had already surpassed transactions worth Rs9.82 lakh crore gross merchandise value, as on July 2024. The GeM portal has a special section called “womaniya” to enable women entrepreneurs and women self-help groups to sell handicrafts, handloom, etc, directly to various government agencies.
The Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme aims to provide financial incentives to businesses in sectors like electronics, textiles and pharmaceuticals to boost domestic production. As of January 2024, the scheme has achieved investments over Rs1 lakh crore and has created over 6.78 lakh jobs. During the festive season, with rise in demand for consumer goods, it is essential to ensure that consumers have access to high quality, locally made products.
Geographic distance has been blurred in this age of the internet and social media. Cheap mobile data has ensured that no person in Bharat is deprived access to the digital world. Initiatives like Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan, aimed at promoting digital literacy in rural India, ensure that artisans and manufacturers in remote areas can showcase and sell their products in urban and even international markets. Using social media and digital UPI payments, any person with the drive to succeed can kickstart their business.
While the government is playing its part, today I call upon you to actively participate and embrace the ‘vocal for local’ campaign. Handcrafted diyas, traditional weaves and artisanal sweets will add beauty to the celebrations and also support our cultural legacy. One small step on your part in supporting local vendors will lead to a big stride in the direction of achieving Atmanirbhar Bharat.
This festive season, I have chosen the place to get my besan ke laddoo and handwoven sari. Have you?
Bansuri Swaraj is a Lok Sabha MP from New Delhi.