Lucknow, April 16 (KNN) French textile artist Isabella Moulin has applauded the state government’s ‘one district one product’ (ODOP) scheme and appreciated Lucknow’s famous ‘chikankari’ and ‘zari-zardozi’.

Moulin is on a visit to India to explore the potential of weavers in Uttar Pradesh and bilateral cooperation between India and France.

Interacting with Navneet Sehgal, additional chief secretary, MSME, khadi and handloom, the French designer also discussed the possibility of signing a MoU between the two countries to promote Uttar Pradesh handlooms in France.

The state government had launched the ODOP scheme in January 2018 to promote indigenous products.

Earlier, Moulin had also visited UP Institute of Design, Noida, and several clusters in Sultanpur and Lucknow.

Moulin said, "I am overwhelmed with the variety of handloom and handicrafts that Uttar Pradesh boasts of,”.

Also, the ODOP initiative is absolutely brilliant as it is empowering local artisans, especially women, and giving them an opportunity to be independent. Khadi also has immense potential globally, Moulin added.

Commenting on the French designer’s visit, Sehgal said, “Isabelle is a known name in the textile designing world and we can leverage her expertise to promote our local weaves.”

Our teams are discussing a strategy to take this association forward, both in promoting textiles and fashion education, added Sehgal.

The state government is working on a new policy for handloom, power loom, silk, textiles and garments.

This policy is expected to generate employment opportunities for the youth not only in the district headquarters but in villages across the state. (KNN Bureau)