Lucknow, Aug 30 (Reporter) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said that e-commerce is the beginning of a new era and it has made the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme famous in the country and the world. Sharing the experience of ODOP sellers on the occasion of the virtual inauguration of Flipkart's warehouse in Unnao and Varanasi, the CM said, "By working on various aspects including design, technology, market, we focused on packaging and export, but the work of giving it more momentum happened when Flipkart Group joined us and when it started providing services as an e-commerce platform, the ODOP scheme was seen gaining fame not only in the state but also in the country and the world." He said, "When our government came into power in 2017, we received guidance from PM Modi, which led to a comprehensive mapping of the MSME sector in the state. This initiative paved the way for the promotion of local products under the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme." Yogi shared that the vision behind ODOP was to create a platform that would not only preserve UP's traditional products but also make them appealing to the broader public. He emphasized the transformative role of technology in expanding market access. He stated that what once seemed an impossible challenge, which was delivering products to global markets, has now been made possible. He mentioned that the newly established warehouses in Unnao, connected to the Lucknow Commissionerate and in Varanasi, the spiritual capital of the state, represent a significant step forward. The CM underscored the potential for job creation these facilities bring, highlighting how the presence of such warehouses ensures the provision of quality services, thereby meeting customer expectations and curbing black marketing by breaking monopolies. He said that these developments foster healthy competition and open doors to numerous opportunities, reducing the risk of fraud and enhancing market fairness. He praised the effectiveness of the platform, pointing out that from a single location, products can now reach across the city, the state, the country, and even the world. He acknowledged Flipkart's large-scale operations in UP facilitated through state policies and a MoU as a testament to the success of this collaborative approach. He highlighted the positive impact of recent initiatives aimed at empowering women and promoting self-reliance in UP. He said that the state government had signed agreements with three major groups to advance these goals, and the results are now becoming evident. Yogi praised the efforts of women like Radhika in Lucknow, who, through the Self Employed Women's Association, has not only expanded the business of chikan kurtas and sarees but also significantly increased the income of every female worker involved. He said, "Uttar Pradesh, with the highest number of MSME units in the country between 90 to 96 lakh has been at the forefront of supporting small businesses. The state is also the first to provide a security insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh to entrepreneurs associated with each MSME unit." The CM emphasized that the Mukhya Mantri Yuva Udyami Scheme is paving the way for the setting up of 10 lakh new enterprises, with Flipkart now acting as a trusted partner to bring these products to market. "The inauguration of these two warehouses is a certified assurance of this commitment and will help instill new confidence among entrepreneurs in UP, while also creating new job opportunities," he said...////...