Khadi goes online with a brand name

LUCKNOW: The products of state khadi and rural industrial units will now be available online.

The state khadi and village industries department has tied up with popular online store Amazon India to market its products.

Principal secretary, khadi and village industries, Navneet Sehgal on Monday told the HT that the products would be available online with the brand name ‘Khadi UP’.

Leather and wood items, garments, pottery, herbal products, cosmetics and brassware manufactured at the units in rural areas will be available on the website.

The online shopping giant is one of the largest internet-based retailers in the world in terms of total sales and market capitalisation.

All a shopper will have to do is to visit the website and select ‘Khadi UP’ products which will be supplied to his doorstep.

“In the first phase, Amazon has tied up with 47 units out of 536 village industrial units. MoU will be signed with other units soon,” Sehgal said.

The units which will be supplying products are located in Kanpur, Varanasi, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Moradabad, Bulandshahr and Amroha.

“Khadi products outlets are available in prominent cities and district headquarters. Usually people visit stores to purchase products. At a time when majority of private players were selling products online, the khadi department decided it should not lag behind,” he said.

“There is a huge market of khadi products and it is popular in rural as well as urban areas. Once khadi products are online, it will give a much-needed boost to rural industries,” he said.

“The department has also decided to set up a Khadi Plaza in its newly-constructed building in Dalibagh. All khadi products will be available in the plaza,” he said.

Recently, the department had urged the state police personnel to wear khadi uniform.

With around 1.50 lakh personnel, the state police can give a boost to khadi and village industry.

“To compete in textile market, the khadi units across the country are using fabric that are in latest fashion and preferred by buyers. A symbol of Swadeshi movement during the freedom struggle, the use of khadi products will increase the earning of weavers who are fighting for survival,” Sehgal said.