India Handpicked: Latest Book by YourStory's Shradha Sharma Spotlights India's One District One Product Initiative

BusinessWire India

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 18: India Handpicked, the book co-authored by Shradha Sharma, Founder and CEO of YourStory and The Bharat Project, and Chhavi Mahajan, was launched today by Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry.

Sumeet K Jarangal, Director of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), was also present at the book launch.

The book spotlights the Government of India One District One Product (ODOP) initiative and the country diverse craft traditions. It highlights how India artisans and their crafts form the backbone of cultural identity and economic strength, and how ODOP is enabling market access and global recognition for the artisan communities.

The story of Bharat is neither written in one language nor told through a single tradition. It lives in the weaves of our textiles, the lustre of our metals, and the rhythm of our crafts, writes Piyush Goyal, in the foreword to India Handpicked.

India has one of the richest craft legacies in the world, with every district showcasing distinct skills shaped by history, geography, and cultural ethos. The craft traditions of the country--from Kangra miniature paintings and Kashmir silk carpets to Khurja pottery from Bulandshahr, and Sitapur dhurries--continue to sustain the livelihoods of millions of artisans.

Our Prime Minister has given many gifts to the leaders of the world; they are India ODOP products. India Handpicked compiles their stories--where they started and their history--in a non-boring way, said Shradha Sharma, co-author of the book, during its launch.

The ODOP initiative, launched under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to promote craft products from every district, linking them to both domestic and international markets. According to official data, ODOP has so far identified 1,102 products across 761 districts, many of them GI-tagged and export-ready.

ODOP today stands as a key pillar of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, supporting livelihoods, empowering artisans, and taking local to global, says Goyal in the book foreword, reflecting on the programme progress.

During the book launch, the minister said India Handpicked captures Prime Minister Modi vision through ODOP.

Impact of ODOP

The ODOP initiative has delivered a measurable impact on the ground and provided market visibility to the crafts.

For instance, the centuries-old craft of Pochampally Ikkat, from Telangana Bhoodan Pochampally, in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, has received renewed focus, market access, and infrastructure, and has been spotlighted in the global crafts market.

Varanasi lacquerware, once on the decline, now generates an annual turnover of more than Rs 40 crore.

Sitapur handwoven durries have entered global retail supply chains, with global brand IKEA among its buyers.

ODOP has also been used as a tool of cultural diplomacy. ODOP products, also available in the government e-marketplace, have featured prominently in state gifting.

Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi gifted Gujarat Mata Ni Pachedi textile to former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during the G20 Summit in 2022.

In 2024, as PM Modi prepared to address the UN General Assembly, he presented a Kashmiri Pashmina shawl to the then US First Lady Jill Biden, signifying a quiet message of sovereignty, heritage, and the enduring artistry of the region.

More recently, in 2025, during the G7 Summit, a Dokra horse sculpture from India was gifted to Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa. It stood as a metaphor for the ties that bind both India and South Africa--enduring, intuitive, and shaped by resilience.

In 2025, PM Modi gifted Croatia President Zoran Milanovic a Pattachitra painting, symbolising folklore traditions connecting India and Croatia.

ODOP is not just about products; it is about people. Each district tells its own story through the hands of artisans who are, in every sense, cultural ambassadors, says Amardeep Singh Bhatia, Secretary, DPIIT, Government of India, in a special message.

India Handpicked highlights ODOP as an economic programme and a cultural movement that ensures development reaches beyond India metros, to Bharat small towns and villages.

Behind every weave of a textile, every carved stone, every drop of attar, there is a story of resilience, inheritance, and love for one craft, says Sharma in the author note in the book.

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