53 Trains from (vda)vasad jn to (add)adas road

-In Andhra Pradesh State, 35 Railway stations are covered with 37 outlets of ‘One Station o­ne Product’

The ‘One Station o­ne Product’ scheme was introduced by the Ministry of Railways with a mission to promote local/indigenous products by providing a market and creating additional income opportunities for the marginalized sections of society. The concept which was announced in the union budget of 2022-23 has since gained momentum and is proving to be a triumph for the local artisans.

On South Central Railway, the ‘One station o­ne product’ concept was initially introduced at six Railway stations for a duration of 30 days. Eventually, with the terrific response received for the pilot project, the outlets have since been spread over seventy Railway stations o­n the zone. At present, 72 Railway stations across SCR are covered with 77 outlets of ‘One station o­ne Product’ giving high visibility to local products in 4 states i.e., Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka under SCR jurisdiction.

In the State of Andhra Pradesh, Thirty-five Railway stations including Vijayawada, Nellore, Rajahmundry, Eluru, o­ngole, Gudivada, Tirupati, Guntur, Guntakal etc., are covered with 37 stalls of o­ne station o­ne product thereby giving a major boost to livelihood and welfare of local artisans. Some of the products include handlooms by local weavers such as traditional Kalamkari sarees; Jute Products, Imitation Jewelry, Wooden Handicrafts, Girijan Products, local delicacies such as Pickles, Masala Powders, Papadas; Shell paintings and Rice art etc.,

Andhra Pradesh is renowned for its hand-painted cotton textile knows as the ‘Kalamkari’. There are two distinctive styles of Kalamkari art i.e., the Srikalahasti style and the Machilipatnam style. The theme of these Kalamkari prints is largely mythological and the process entails as many as fifteen steps. Around eight outlets have been dedicated to the Kalamkari sarees and other handloom sarees and textiles which allows the local weavers to sell their products directly to the public instead of going through the hassle of retailers. These outlets also help to further popularize the art of Kalamkari among the passengers coming to the Railway stations from different parts of the world.

The state of Andhra Pradesh has a rich and varied cultural heritage which led to the evolution of various handicrafts. Wood-carving is also o­ne of the oldest traditional crafts in the State. The wood work crafts of Andhra Pradesh include various objects ranging from household items to dolls and other figurines.  Nearly six outlets of ‘One station o­ne product’ have been set up for selling of wooden handicrafts by local artisans including Wooden Cutlery and Etipokka Lacquerware toys.

Shri Arun Kumar Jain, General Manager expressed that the ‘One station o­ne product’ scheme gives a great opportunity to local artisans to showcase their products. He expressed that Railway stations are well suited to promote indigenous products which are famous at the surrounding places among the travelling passengers.

Testimonials by local artisans:

Smt. Krishna Kumari belonging to the Velagapudi Enterprises was awarded an OSOP outlet at Guntur Railway station for selling of Eco-friendly Jute bags. Sharing her experience, Smt. Kumari stated that “Earlier, we were struggling for a proper marketing platform, however, after the unveiling of our OSOP stall, the Velagapudi enterprises is able to make daily sale of Rs. 5000/- and approximately Rs. 7000/- during festive seasons. We have also been conducting skill development training programs for women and deprived groups which will be effective in allowing them to earn additional income”, she said.