Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Mr Kalraj Mishra, has emphasised that khadi should be a medium of self-reliance for common man.
Addressing a meeting of the National Khadi and Village Industries at Vigyan Bhavan, Mishra said that khadi had emerged with a new dimension. “Earlier khadi was considered the cloth for netas (leaders) and dadajis (grandfathers). But now with innovation and renovation, it has become a cloth for one and all, cutting across their age, sex or income group,” he said.
Outlining the increasing popularity of khadi worldwide, following Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s frequent mentions for adopting the hand-spun and hand-woven fabric symbolising nationality, integrity and fashion of the nation, Mishra said that recently people from Mauritius and South Africa asked him to open exclusive khadi outlets in their respective countries. “Taking up this matter seriously, I have asked the higher MSME officials to discuss this issue with their counterparts in the Ministry of Commerce, to make a blueprint, so that khadi can be promoted globally.”
Earlier, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) chairma, Vinay Kumar Saxena shared, “KVIC has provided jobs to millions of people in the recent years. In terms of growth rate we have reached 34 per cent, whereas since Independence till few years ago, even the double-digit was a mirage,” he said, adding, “Our convergence with corporate giants like Raymonds and Aditya Birla group and frequent orders from organisations like Air India, ICCR, JK group besides many government departments indicate that we have maintained our quality and date schedule without any fail.”