‘Khadi has now become a fashion statement’
The Khadi Village Industries Commission (KVIC) under the ministry of micro small and medium enterprises is planning to provide a huge fillip to the rural sector. It has about 12 lakh direct employees currently engaged with it. Arun Kumar Jha, CEO, KVIC is bullish about the sale of khadi products in India and outside. He spoke to HT about the extensive plans he has chalked out to boost sales of the product and make it more popular among the youth. Excerpts:
How has KVIC helped in employment generation at the grassroots level?
KVIC is considered a potent tool for creation of employment at the grassroots level with very low capital investment. The assistance given through various KVIC schemes is enabling khadi institutions provide employment opportunities to traditional artisans living in rural areas. Besides, 80% of the artisans are women and every third khadi artisan belongs to socially-backward communities. KVIC has played a pivotal role in the socio-economic empowerment of rural women.
How many people will be employed in the next couple of years?
At least 10 lakh people will be hired. This is to meet the growing demand for khadi and as other premium retail brands and stores seek the khadi mark to sell such products.
As more and more retail stores such as Fabindia show interest in selling khadi, won’t it impact your market share?
We do not see it like that. We want khadi to be as popular as possible, so it is a welcome step that more and more retail stores are coming forth and applying for the khadi mark. This will only push the sales and acceptance level. In fact, we are also in the process of bringing out khadi in wool, linen, silk and muslin. A massive marketing drive is also being planned.
Is the demand for khadi rising?
Yes, very much. Khadi is now a fashion statement and we are also trying to make it as popular as possible among the younger generation. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat, in which he urged every Indian to include khadi in the shopping list for the current festive season, sales have gone up significantly. KVIC will also sell its products directly to the youth through mobile retail vans which will regularly visit colleges and universities.
What about the production of khadi?
Production of khadi increased from `811.08 crore in 2013-14 to `879.98 crore in 2014-15. In percentage terms, it was 8.49%. Similarly, sales also increased from `1,081.04 crore in 2013-14 to `1,170.38 crore in 2014-15.