As a part of this initiative, local products from 500 aspirational blocks have been mapped and consolidated under the Aakanksha brand. The launch was attended by all 329 districts and block-level officials who connected virtually for the event.

NITI Aayog CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam in his keynote address urged the district collectors and the block-level officials to collaborate with partners like the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), and Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to facilitate sustainable growth of micro enterprises in the aspirational blocks.

Subrahmanyam said that Aakanksha is an umbrella brand, which could be supplemented into multiple sub-brands that have the potential to create an international market.

In order to encourage these products, a dedicated window for the Aspirational Blocks Programme under the brand name Aakanksha has been established on the GeM portal.

The partners will also provide technical and operational support for the facilitation of e-commerce onboarding, establishing linkages, financial/digital literacy, documentation/certification, and skill enhancement, among others.

This comprehensive capacity-building approach is expected to significantly strengthen the 'Vocal for Local' initiative, thereby ensuring sustainability.