‘Khadi Mahotsav’ to boost sales, promote local products

Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Narayan Rane has announced a month-long ‘Khadi Mahotsav’ while celebrating the 154^th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The Minister also flagged off the Khadi Yatra with an aim to support the ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative and the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ campaign.

The Union Minister highlighted the achievements of the Khadi and Village Industry (KVI) sector with the fourfold growth in the sales, reaching INR 1,34,629.91 crore in FY 2022-23 compared to INR 33,135.90 crore in FY 2014-15, showing an increase of 306.29 per cent.

KVI production has also witnessed a significant growth, exceeding threefold, with INR 95,956.67 crore recorded in FY 2022-23 compared to INR 27,569.37 crore in FY 2014-15, reflecting an impressive increase of 248.05 per cent, the Minister noted.

The festival aims to promote Khadi and Village Industries, handloom, handicrafts, ODOP (One District One Product) products, and various traditional and cottage industries produced locally, Rane said while purchasing khadi products by making digital payments.

The festival aims to provide employment opportunities to weavers and workers engaged in the cottage industry. About a hundred institutions are participating in Khadi Mahotsav, featuring a diverse range of products from various states, including Khadi clothes, silk sarees, dress material, kurtas, jackets, bedsheets, carpets, chemical-free shampoos, honey, and other household items, as well as exquisite art and handicrafts.

New Khadi Outlet At IIT Delhi

In another programme, a newly renovated Khadi India outlet was inaugurated at the IIT Delhi campus. KVIC Chairman Manoj Kumar launched the outlet at the IIT Delhi shopping complex with an aim to promote Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Khadi for Nation; Khadi for Fashion & Khadi for Transformation”.

Along with launching the new outlet, Kumar also unveiled the new collection of apparel designed by the Centre of Excellence for Khadi (CoEK) in collaboration with Khadi Institutions. The Ministry of MSME initiated the creation of CoEK to collaborate with the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) with an aim to develop youth-centric designs and expand into international markets.

A new apparel range has been created to make khadi attractive and to appeal to young audiences by introducing vibrant colours and interesting silhouettes. Khadi Institutions have been guided by the CoEK team to carry out quality and standardized production of 9 styles of apparel for retail through the IIT outlet. This outlet will be the first to initiate the wave of presenting khadi in a new narrative.