Visakhapatnam: In an effort to support the “vocal for local” vision and provide market access to indigenous products, as many as 14 railway stations in the Waltair division have established ‘One Station One Product’ (OSOP) outlets. The Ministry of Railways initiated this scheme to create additional income opportunities for marginalized sections of society.
The OSOP outlets at these railway stations aim to showcase and sell local and indigenous products, providing high visibility to these items. The pilot project was launched at Visakhapatnam station in March last year, and subsequently, 14 other stations in the division joined the initiative. To ensure uniformity, the OSOP stalls were designed by the National Design Institute.
The cumulative beneficiaries of this scheme across Indian Railways from March 2022 until May 1, 2023, amounted to 25,109 individuals. These OSOP outlets offer a wide range of region-specific products, including handicrafts, handlooms, textiles, traditional garments, local agricultural produce such as millets, and processed or semi-processed food items.
Divisional Railway Manager of Waltair, Anup Satpathy, expressed satisfaction with the response received so far. He mentioned that products like etikoppaka toys, cashew-based products, spices, agro-products, millets, and handloom saris have been garnering encouraging attention from buyers and passengers visiting the stations.