Uttar Pradesh One District One Cuisine (ODOC) Financing Assistance Scheme Overview

Introduction to the ODOC Financing Assistance Scheme

The Uttar Pradesh One District One Cuisine (ODOC) Financing Assistance Scheme is a margin money initiative introduced by the Department of MSME and Export Promotion, Government of Uttar Pradesh. The scheme aims to help entrepreneurs set up, expand, or diversify food businesses built around traditional cuisine or food products identified for their respective districts.

Under this initiative, scheduled commercial banks, regional rural banks, and nationalised banks finance the projects, while the state department provides margin money assistance. The Directorate of Industries and Enterprise Promotion, Kanpur, alongside District Industries and Enterprise Promotion Centres (DICs), manages field-level implementation.

Key Objectives and Eligible Activities

The state government launched the financing component to support the wider "Ek Janpad Ek Vyanjan" (ODOC) programme. Many local food products and signature dishes suffer from outdated equipment, weak packaging, and limited market reach. The scheme seeks to improve production capacity, raise quality standards, and enhance market competitiveness.

Practical Investments Supported

Eligible entrepreneurs can utilize financial support for various operational upgrades, including:

• Installing automated machinery to boost productivity
• Modern packaging, labelling, wrapping, and sealing equipment
• Cold-chain infrastructure such as deep freezers, reefer vans, and mini cold rooms
• Food-testing and quality-assurance instruments
• Shelf-life enhancement machinery and cloud kitchens

Both new units and existing ventures seeking expansion or diversification are eligible, provided the business directly relates to the district-identified ODOC cuisine.

Financial Assistance and Margin Money Structure

The scheme operates through a bank-linked mechanism where applicants contribute a specific share of the total project cost, and the government provides margin money assistance up to ₹50 lakh for eligible projects.

• Own Contribution: General category applicants must contribute 10% of the project cost, while special categories (such as SC, ST, OBC, minorities, women, and disabled applicants) contribute 5%.
• Interest Relief: No interest accrues on the margin money portion once received in the beneficiary's account as a Term Deposit Receipt (TDR).
• Grant Conversion: The bank adjusts the margin money against the loan as a grant after two years of successful, default-free operation confirmed via a joint inspection.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet specific conditions to qualify for the scheme:

• Must be at least 18 years old.
• No minimum educational qualification is required.
• Must be a resident of Uttar Pradesh.
• The business must relate to the designated ODOC product of the home district.
• Must not be a loan defaulter of any financial or government institution.
• Must not have claimed benefits under other overlapping self-employment schemes.

Application and Verification Process

Applications must be submitted online through the official Directorate of Industries portal. The workflow includes:

1. Registration: Register on the portal using accurate personal details matching Aadhaar to generate a User ID and password.
2. Form Submission: Complete the application form, uploading necessary documents, project reports, and affidavits.
3. DIC Scrutiny: District Industries Centres review applications, assess them based on a scorecard, and forward selected files to the chosen bank branch.
4. Bank Sanction: Bank branches evaluate and decide on loan approvals within one month.
5. Training and Disbursement: New beneficiaries generally undergo mandatory entrepreneurship training before the bank releases the initial loan instalment and claims the margin money through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Verification and Support

Applicants can check their application status online by entering their application number, date of birth, and registered mobile number on the portal. For technical difficulties or official inquiries, applicants can contact the Directorate of Industries helpline at 155343 or reach out to local DIC offices.