JKTPO organizes Export Awareness-cum-E-Commerce onboarding Drive in Bandipora

BANDIPORA: In a major initiative aimed at strengthening local enterprise and giving a digital boost to local products, the Jammu & Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO), organized a comprehensive Export Awareness Cum E-Commerce Onboarding, at Bandipora. 

The workshop was conducted in collaboration with the District Administration Bandipora, Handicrafts and Handloom Department, District Industries Centre, Bandipora, Employment Department, Government e-Marketplace (GeM), Department of Posts and SBDU Mission Yuva Bandipora.  The event was attended by officers from various concerned departments.

The workshop aimed at empowering local artisans, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Self Help Groups (SHGs), startups and MSMEs of Bandipora to leverage e-commerce platforms for wider national and global market access. The workshop witnessed an overwhelming response with participation of over 150 sellers from across the district, dealing in Crewel (GI Tagged), ODOP of Bandipora, Milk & Dairy Products, Walnuts, and other Handicrafts & Handloom products.

Representative of JKTPO briefly explained about the role of JKTPO and its objectives for promotion of trade and exports from district level. He said, Bandipora is famous for crewel-based shawls. Our main focus is to take Crewel shawls and other district products to national and global markets. 

The drive was aimed at empowering local artisans, FPOs, MSMEs, Mission Yuva beneficiaries and SelfHelp Groups (SHGs) to leverage e-commerce platforms for expanding their market reach and realizing the vision of Vocal for Local to Global.

Muzamil, consultant from ONDC-Mission YUVA Bandipora, highlighted the benefits of ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce), an initiative of DPIIT, Govt. of India. He explained the registration process, documents required and how ONDC provides open access to buyers across India with zero commission and low logistics cost. He said ONDC is the digital backbone of Mission YUVA to create youth entrepreneurs.

Maqbool Shah, Senior Consultant, Government e-Marketplace (GeM), provided a detailed overview of the GeM portal, explaining registration process, documentation requirements, and benefits of government procurement. He encouraged Artisans/FPOs to leverage GeM for bulk government orders.

  Representative from Department of Posts explained the role of post office from promotion of ODOP products under the newly launched scheme Dak Niryat Kendra and informed the audience to leverage the benefits of the said scheme.

On-spot help desks were established by GeM, Department of Posts and ONDC for instant onboarding and document verification. More than 50 sellers were onboarded on-spot on ONDC and GeM during the workshop while over 100 enquiries were registered for further handholding and export documentation.

The interactive session provided participating enterprises an opportunity to understand the benefits of e-commerce, seek clarifications and gain practical insights into leveraging digital commerce for business expansion.

The initiative forms part of JKTPO’s continued efforts towards promoting digital adoption, strengthening market access and enabling MSMEs, farmers and artisans of Jammu & Kashmir to access wider markets.

The workshop will bring together leading national e-commerce and procurement platforms including Government e-Marketplace (GeM), Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), department of posts and the state scheme Mission YUVA, to provide direct assistance, live onboarding, and capacity-building training to local entrepreneurs, artisans, unit holders, and youth.

The programme concluded with an emphasis on encouraging more enterprises from Bandipora to adopt digital commerce and leverage platforms to strengthen their online presence and explore sustainable business growth.