Kargil’s apricots exported to Saudi, Kuwait, Qatar for first time

NEW DELHI: Kargil’s apricots are reaching Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar for the first time, thanks to the One District One Product initiative. “This has been done under the One District One Product and Vocal For Local, Global Outreach initiatives”, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal wrote on X, sharing the news.

The successful export of 1.5 metric tons of apricots is proof of the growing international demand for Indian fruits, said the minister. “This reflects the Modi government’s commitment to farmers’ welfare”, the minister’s X post, written in Hindi, concluded.

The Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry Initiative “One District, One Product” (ODOP) aims at fostering balanced regional development across all districts of the country by selection, branding, and promoting one product from each district of the country.

APEDA in collaboration with the UT Administration of Ladakh and M/s Fair Exports (India) Pvt. Ltd. flagged off the maiden export of fresh Halman Apricot from Ladakh to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar on 7th August 2025.

Sourced from the high-altitude belts of Kargil, the Halman… pic.twitter.com/mhcDv037qY

— APEDA (@APEDADOC) August 8, 2025

The ODOP Initiative aims at attracting investment in the district and boosting manufacturing and exports, thereby generating employment in the district. ODOP is operationally merged with the “Districts as Export Hubs” initiative.

The Developing Districts as Export Hubs (DEH) initiative is a flagship export promotion initiative of Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with the vision to transform every district into a vibrant contributor to national exports. It builds upon and now incorporates the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative to streamline export potential at the grassroots level.

Each district identifies one or more products or services with export potential and creates a District Export Action Plan (DEAP) to support quality, capacity, market access, and infrastructure. A District Export Promotion Committee (DEPC), led by local administration in partnership with DGFT regional authorities, oversees execution.

Addressing the National One District One Product (ODOP) 2024 Award ceremony in July, the minister had that the One District, One Product is a unique initiative, and no other country has something like this. He added that local is now going global. (ANI)