Uttar Pradesh One District One Cuisine Scheme: Up to Rs 50 Lakh Margin Money for Traditional Food Businesses

The Uttar Pradesh government is giving up to Rs 50 lakh as margin money to entrepreneurs who build food businesses around their district’s traditional dish. The One District One Cuisine (ODOC) Financing Assistance Scheme of the Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and Export Promotion was notified on 5 May 2026 and came into force on 5 June 2026. It follows the success of the One District One Product (ODOP) programme, and applies the same idea to food — every district has one signature dish, and the scheme helps local entrepreneurs turn that dish into a bankable business. The scheme was discussed at a session in Lucknow on 5 November, where Principal Secretary Shashi Bhushan Sunil said ODOC was launched after ODOP’s success.

Under ODOC, one traditional dish has been identified for each district. Jaunpur’s imarti, Lucknow’s makkhan malai, Bahraich’s chamcham, Hardoi’s laddoo and aloo-poori, and Sitapur’s mirch pakoda, peda, samosa and malai makkhan are among the dishes covered. The scheme supports quality improvement, attractive packaging and branding, modern machinery, cold chains and certification for these food businesses. Entrepreneurs can get up to 75 per cent of the cost of participating in national and international fairs and obtaining quality certificates reimbursed, and up to Rs 10 lakh for marketing activities.

The margin money depends on the total project cost, in four slabs. For projects up to Rs 25 lakh, the assistance is 25 per cent of the cost, up to a maximum of Rs 6.25 lakh. For projects above Rs 25 lakh and up to Rs 50 lakh, it is Rs 6.25 lakh or 20 per cent of the cost, whichever is higher. For projects above Rs 50 lakh and up to Rs 1.50 crore, it is Rs 10 lakh or 10 per cent, whichever is higher. For projects above Rs 1.50 crore, the assistance is 10 per cent of the cost, up to a maximum of Rs 50 lakh. Nationalised banks, regional rural banks and other scheduled banks finance the project, while the department provides the margin money. The nodal agency is the Directorate of Industries and Enterprise Promotion, Kanpur, and District Industries and Enterprise Promotion Centres (DICs) run the scheme in each district.

To apply, the applicant must be over 18 years of age and a resident of the district concerned. The benefit is given only once per family, and the applicant must not have taken the benefit of any other government scheme earlier. There is no minimum educational qualification. The applicant’s own contribution is 10 per cent of the project cost for the general category and 5 per cent for special categories. In Bahraich district, 12 units are targeted for benefit in the current financial year with a subsidy budget of Rs 36 lakh, and seven applications worth Rs 42.5 lakh in project cost have already been sent to banks. Applications can be made online on the MSME department portal msme.up.gov.in or through the nearest Common Service Centre (CSC).

Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the UP One District One Cuisine scheme? — A Uttar Pradesh MSME department scheme that gives margin money up to Rs 50 lakh to entrepreneurs setting up food businesses based on their district’s traditional dish.
2. How much margin money can I get? — From 25 per cent (up to Rs 6.25 lakh) for small projects to 10 per cent (up to Rs 50 lakh) for projects above Rs 1.50 crore.
3. Who can apply for ODOC? — Any person above 18 years of age who is a resident of the district, has not taken another government scheme’s benefit, and whose family has not availed the benefit before.
4. Where do I apply for the ODOC scheme? — Online on the MSME department portal msme.up.gov.in or through the nearest Common Service Centre (CSC).

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