Kannauj, June 19 (KNN) Hit by rising costs of raw materials and Good & Services Tax (GST), the industry is seeing a downturn, says Om Prakash Pathak, President of Kannauj’s Attar and Perfumers’ Association.

Manufacturers of Kannauj’s attar industries in the past few years have suffered from losses in their business due to an increase in the costs of raw material, lack in their market connectivity and their losses because of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

“GST isn’t the problem. But the rate should be business-friendly,” says Shakti Vinay Shukla, director of the Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre, Kannauj.

KNN India is doing a series of stories know the views of UP MSMEs over the ODOP Scheme.

The uniqueness of these traditional attar industries and various others were losing their touch and in order to preserve their place in the traditional market of Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had proposed the ODOP scheme last year. With the help of the Governor Ram Naik, the scheme was implemented in all the 75 districts of UP with the sole purpose of a potential Nationwide implementation.

One District One products main focus is to preserve the development of local craft/skills, work on improving the product quality and skill development, transform the products in an artistic way so that these traditional Industries do not lose their touch and end up preserving their place in their traditional market.

This scheme in the Kannauj district gave new hope to the attar manufacturers with a sole motive of helping them reach heights in their traditional business.

Kannauj has been home to a thriving perfume industry since the days of Harshavardhana who ruled North India between 606 and 647 AD.  

It is one of the most precious traditional perfume city which should be kept preserved but the last few years have seen the city’s perfume industry shrink. A rising demand for cheap alcohol-based fragrances, coupled with the high cost of production, and lack of sandalwood oil which was traditionally used has badly affected the itr industry.

As said by one of the owner of Kannauj Attar and External Oil Abhishek Tripathi, "ODOP is not only promoting these traditional markets but also focussing on its encouragement to specialized products and crafts that are found only in UP and nowhere else."

“Through this ODOP scheme around 25 lakh people will get employment through a financial assistance of Rs. 25,000 crore in five years. Small and medium enterprises are proving to be the backbone in the nation’s economy. This ODOP scheme will further strengthen the spine” President of India Ram Nath Kovind had said during the launch of this scheme.

Despite all these advancements because of this scheme, the manufacturers are still not getting the required support that they need. “ODOP scheme is helping us but in a very restricted manner” added by one of the manufacturers who is involved in the production of the attar industries.

The perfume capital of India should get what it deserves, the manufacturers demand. (KNN/LM)