Selfie with Gandhi is a huge hit at the India International Trade Fair (IITF) as it has helped organisers attract thousands of people to Khadi pavilion, said traders.
On the fourth day, traders sold Khadi of Rs 30 lakh, which is estimated to be the highest collection for a single product line.
Two hundred and five Khadi traders from 24 States are selling saris, suits, shirts and kurta in Khadi pavilion. “This is the first time we are trading the bridal attire made of Khadi and young minds like the concept,” said official spokesperson of Khadi Village Industries Commission (KVIC). “As per the theme of 35th IITF “Make in India”, we are promoting Khadi and it has gigantic significance in independence struggle,” said official.
To enterprise the Khadi trading, KVIC is associating with 10 major banks of India and proposing 35 per cent subsidies under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna. “Khadi is vastly sported costume in European nations. Under the woolen woven category of Khadi, Pashmina is being traded by a few traders. We are encouraging the young entrepreneurs to make Khadi more popular by providing subsidy,” he said.
Irfan, a trader from Kashmir, said it takes eight months to complete the Pashmina shawl. “The embroidery material like thread and base material: everything is made up of pashmina. Cost of pashmina starts from Rs 7,000,” he said.
Besides classic Khadi attires, the textile engineers and designers have introduced Khadi in new way to acknowledge it in the Indian fashion industry.
lokesh, a textile engineer from Pune, said in the age of experiments, we need to inform people and designers about different varieties of the fabric. Showcasing his latest experiment in weaving, he said, “Designers have introduced the Malabari silk, a new form of Khadi silk in their creations. The origin of this silk is from Nurpur, Himachal Pradesh and also known as Nupur Silk,” he said.
Inspired from tribal art and culture, saris made with Kosa fruit of Chhattisgarh also attracted the buyers. Nilambhar Prasad, designer, said drawn from cocoons from Arjun tree, the production of a single meter of Kosa silk is a long process and artists create their concepts driven from cultural activities of tribal people.