How ODOP took Barabanki weavers from Rs 18 lakh loan to Rs 1 crore business

For Javed and Zafar Ahmed, weaving has been a family trade for three generations. But for years, keeping the business going was a struggle. Today, the brothers say their annual turnover has reached around Rs 1 crore, with about 60 people associated with their work.

The brothers, who live in Zaidpur village of Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki district, have been involved in weaving for around 37 years. Their family had been in the trade for generations, but hard work did not always translate into a stable income.

That began to change in 2018, when they decided to expand their traditional weaving business under the government's One District, One Product (ODOP) scheme.

They received a loan of around Rs 18 lakh, which they used to install eight powerloom machines. The expansion also allowed them to employ around 20 weavers. Over time, they brought women's groups into the work as well.

For the brothers, the loan was a starting point. They began travelling to markets in Kanpur, Delhi and Mumbai to find buyers and expand their business. As demand grew, so did the scale of their operations.

They now say the business has reached an annual turnover of around Rs 1 crore.

The brothers credit the ODOP scheme as well as their own efforts for the growth.

From Barabanki to overseas markets

Javed and Zafar mainly make cotton stoles, scarves and gamchas. Their products, they say, are now finding buyers outside India as well.

They recently got an opportunity through the Textile Department to showcase their products at an exhibition at Pragati Maidan in Delhi. Visitors from Japan, Germany and the US showed interest in their products and placed orders, according to the brothers.

They are currently preparing samples for those orders.

The brothers have also had an earlier experience of supplying to an international market. Zafar said that in 2021, they supplied stoles to Walmart in the US.

The order, he said, was for around 20,000 pieces and was worth Rs 30 lakh.

Zafar said the loan they received under the government scheme has since been repaid on time. He said the business is no longer dependent on loans for expansion and that they are now receiving export orders, with payments being made in advance.

A scarf with a surprising connection

For the brothers, one of the more unusual milestones in their journey is linked to Iran.

Zafar said a scarf seen around the neck of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was made by weavers from Barabanki.

The claim is presented by the brothers as a matter of pride, highlighting how a product made by local weavers from the district has travelled far beyond its traditional market.

Their next target is Japan.

The brothers said a Japanese delegation visited Lucknow's Indira Gandhi Pratishthan on August 21 and saw their products. Their stoles, they said, received a positive response.

They are now looking to explore the Japanese market and understand how businesses and production systems operate there.

According to Zafar, they will also get an opportunity to travel to Japan under an initiative of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The brothers hope the visit will help them understand the Japanese market and identify new opportunities for their products.

For a family that has spent three generations at the loom, the ambition now extends well beyond Barabanki.