Districts as Export Hubs

A banana from Jalgaon. Iron craft from Bastar. Knitwear from Tiruppur. India wants every district, not just its established ports and metros, to sell something to the world. This lesson explains how that push works.

How Did ODOP Turn Into the Districts as Export Hubs Initiative?

The One District One Product scheme, or ODOP, started with a narrow job. It identified one distinctive product tied to each district. Then it promoted that product’s production and visibility.

ODOP was later merged into a bigger initiative, Districts as Export Hubs, or DEH. The Department of Commerce runs this combined effort. Its full name reflects the merger: ODOP-DEH.

ODOP did not disappear. It was absorbed and expanded. DEH keeps that one-product idea and builds a wider export system around it.

What Does the Districts as Export Hubs Initiative Actually Cover?

As of September 2026, the initiative covers over 770 districts across India. It has identified export potential in each one. That is most of the country’s districts, not just a handful.

• The Department of Commerce sets the overall policy direction.
• The Directorate General of Foreign Trade, or DGFT, anchors implementation on the ground.
• DGFT coordinates stakeholders and tracks progress through its own Regional Authorities.

The underlying goal is simple to state. Export activity should move beyond established hubs and metros. Local producers in smaller towns and rural districts should connect directly to overseas buyers.

What Is a District Export Action Plan, and Who Writes It?

A District Export Action Plan, or DEAP, maps out a district’s export-ready products and services. It also assesses local infrastructure and logistics. It flags any bottlenecks holding exports back.

District Export Promotion Committees, or DEPCs, prepare these plans at the local level. As of March 2026, draft DEAPs existed for 590 districts. Of those, 249 districts had formally adopted their plan through a DEPC.

Which Real Districts Show This Working?

• Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district is identified for banana and Bharit brinjal exports.
• Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district is identified for iron craft, rice, jowar, and maize.
• Tamil Nadu’s Tiruppur, called India’s “Knitting City,” exported about ₹46,000 crore worth of knitwear in FY 2025-26 alone.

These three districts show the range this initiative covers. One exports fruit and vegetables. Another exports craft and grain. A third already runs a massive textile export economy.

What Infrastructure Supports Small Exporters?

Dak Ghar Niryat Kendras are export counters set up inside post offices. They help small exporters handle documentation and small shipments, without needing a large logistics setup of their own.

Exim Bank picked six districts for focused, grassroots support. They are Anantapur, Raipur, Solan, Tiruppur, Kanpur, and Kolhapur.

Digital platforms also give MSMEs easier market access. Capacity-building programmes add training too. They cover quality standards and export procedures. Small producers need this to clear the paperwork and quality bar that exporting demands.

What Changed in the June 2026 Outcome-Focused Phase?

On 1 June 2026, the government shifted DEH to a more focused, phased approach. The new priority is measurable commercial results. Finishing administrative paperwork now matters less.

This first phase covers districts across 27 States and Union Territories. It runs with support from 24 DGFT Regional Authorities and 11 partner agencies.

Point	ODOP	DEH
Scope	One distinctive product per district.	Full export ecosystem around that product.
Adds	Identification and visibility.	Logistics, quality standards, branding, certification.
Run by	Original ODOP framework.	Department of Commerce, via DGFT.