·  ODOP Awards presented to 34 winners, spotlighting grassroots entrepreneurship and regional development.

·  Fifth Edition of National Startup Awards launched, inviting entries from impact-driven sectors.

·  Commerce Ministry strengthens global trade strategy with 74 Indian Missions across 61 countries.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, led by Union Minister Piyush Goyal, launched a set of significant initiatives last week to boost India's trade and startup environment.

Identifying grassroots entrepreneurship, the Ministry organized the One District One Product (ODOP) Awards, with 34 awards being given in three categories. Shared on the social media platform 'X', the initiative further emphasizes the government's priority to favor local producers and connect them to global value chains through the ODOP scheme.

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In an effort to cut India's global trade presence, Goyal had a strategic session with Heads of Commercial Wings of 74 Indian Missions in 61 countries. The discussion was aimed at making India's trade roadmap stronger focusing on four KPIs: Investment, Trade, Tourism, and Technology. The Minister encouraged missions to provide periodic market advisories and tackle market access bottlenecks proactively.

In order to promote innovation and sustainability, the Ministry invited applications for the Fifth Edition of the National Startup Awards. The awards will honor startups that not only demonstrate commercial success but also large-scale social impact, environmental stewardship, and scalability. Agritech, clean energy, fintech, aerospace, health, education, cybersecurity, and accessibility are among the sectors encouraged to apply.

Moreover, Minister Goyal led the 10th National Startup Advisory Council Meeting, urging greater collaboration between policymakers, founders, and industry leaders. He underlined the necessity of innovation, R&D, and ecosystem-level collaboration in imagining India's startup future.

In an interactive session, Goyal also interacted with founders of deeptech startups to solve problems related to funding, infrastructure, regulation, and going global. The session was geared towards speeding up India's capability in frontier tech areas with practical government assistance.