# ODOP scheme helps Agra artisans gain skills and new homes 2026-08-20T13:00:01+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Uttar Pradesh's One District One Product (ODOP) initiative is helping artisans in Agra learn new skills and expand their businesses beyond local markets. After 90 days of training at a Common Facility Centre in Nawada village, Lakshmi now works with leather and non-leather products. Rajendra Soni, a footwear maker from a family business in Anguthi village, used exhibitions in Delhi and Lucknow to secure larger orders, and has bought his own home with the increased income. The ODOP scheme provides bank loans, 10-25% subsidies, toolkits and sewing machines, and under the Chief Minister's Youth Entrepreneur Scheme, assistance of up to Rs 5 lakh. Soni received a credit limit of Rs 3 lakh and subsidies of Rs 10,000 twice a year. Nearly 1,600 artisans have been trained at the Nawada centre since June 2022. Agra's leather sector exports about Rs 4,000 crore annually, supports 150 export units and employs 4-5 lakh people. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Uttar Pradesh launched ODOP in 2018 to boost traditional industries in each district, with leather and footwear identified for Agra. The scheme's success hinges on connecting informal artisans to formal markets, not just credit. Agra's leather cluster is dominated by micro-units, most lack the capital to attend trade fairs. Exhibition access is the link that turns a loan into a sale. The next test is whether trained women like Lakshmi can sustain income once subsidies end. The state's export target for leather goods is Rs 10,000 crore by 2027, up from Rs 4,000 crore now. ## Coverage - indiatoday.in Straight narrative of scheme impact through personal stories and official figures, no government criticism or advocacy. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Agra, Lakshmi, ODOP, Rajendra Soni, Uttar Pradesh Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/odop-scheme-helps-agra-artisans-gain-skills-and-new-homes/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/odop-scheme-helps-agra-artisans-gain-skills-and-new-homes/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/