12-Dec-2022: KVIC & Assam Rifles sign MoU

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission(KVIC) has taken another big step towards making India “Aatmanirbhar” by joining hands with Assam Rifles to supply mustard oil. On Monday, KVIC and Assam Rifles signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect. The MoU was signed by Shri Jitendra Kumar Gupta, Zonal Dy. Chief Executive Officer, KVIC and Shri Biju K. Sam, Commandant, Assam Rifles, in presence of KVIC Chairman, Shri Manoj Kumar.

The development comes in wake of the instructions of  Home Minister Shri Amit Shah to the paramilitary forces, to encourage local products in a bid to support the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan” initiated by   Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.   Minister for MSME, Shri Narayan Rane welcomed the move.

Shri Amit Shah had also made it mandatory to sell only “Swadeshi” products through the CAPF canteens across India. The Assam Rifles will soon place an order for supply of 458 quintals of high quality kachhi ghani mustard oil, worth about Rs. 2.71 Crores, which will be supplied by KVIC during 2022-23. The Expressed Mustard oil will be packed in 15 kg square ISI marked tin conforming to BIS specification No IS: 10325-2000 and 01 Litre Pet Bottle as per the specification of BIS/FSSAI norms as applicable in PAN India.

Supplies of Mustard oil by the KVIC shall conform to the relevant FSSAI Standards. The quality of Mustard oil will be checked at consignee’s door step by a Board of Officers detailed by the DG, Assam Rifles. Mustard oil proposed to be supplied will carry “Shelf Life’’ of approx. nine (09) months from the date of supply at Assam Rifles for soundness, wholesomeness and fitness for human consumption. Supply will be provisioned by KVIC within 45 days from the date of issue of supply order by Assam Rifles. Stores are required to be dispatched by road/rail transport only up to five destinations (1) Shillong, 2) Dimapur, 3) Mantripukhri (Imphal), 4) Silchar and 5) Jorhat, all MGARs locations of Assam Rifles) on freight paid basis.

KVIC Chairman Shri Manoj Kumar, while thanking the   Home Minister for his initiative, said the MoU was a historic step, as this is for the second time that KVIC has signed a deal with the paramilitary forces for supply of any material. He said this was a major step towards creating sustainable local employment in these times.

The KVIC and Assam Rifles have signed the MoU for a period of one year which will be renewed further.

Notably, the KVIC recently supplied products like; honey, pickles, edible oils, Agarbatti, papad, amla candy and cotton towels, etc. to CAPF canteens

28-Nov-2022: KVIC Chairman inaugurates the ambitious Re-Hab Project in Nainital

KVIC Chairman Shri Manoj Kumar inaugurated the ambitious Re-Hab Project (Reducing Human Attacks using Honey Bees) by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India) at village Chausla, in Forest Range Fatehpur, Haldwani, District Nainital today, where he also distributed 330 Bee-boxes, bee-colonies and toolkits along with the honey extractors to the rural beneficiaries in Chausla village, free of cost.

On this occasion chairman of KVIC informed the gathering that Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC), under the valuable guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, is running this project called Re-Hab in 7 states of the country, namely in Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Assam and Orissa, where attacks of the elephants is more common, and under this project fencing of bee boxes is installed in such areas from where elephants move towards the human settlements and farmers' agriculture. Fencing of Bee-boxes on the routes of movement of elephants blocks the path of wild elephants. In this way, through honey-bees, elephants can be prevented from attacking humans and destroying farmers' crops.

As a new initiative, the Re-Hab project will be run by KVIC at selected locations for a period of one year.

Chairman also informed that in order to realize the call of “Sweet Revolution” by our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and to provide self-employment opportunities to the unemployed youth of the country, and to increase the income of the farmers, the Honey Mission program is implemented under the Khadi and Gramodyog Vikas Yojana, in the entire country from the year 2018-19. The beneficiaries of this scheme are provided with 10 bee-boxes, bee-colonies and toolkits after completion of the beekeeping training provided by KVIC.

Under the Honey Mission program in the state of Uttarakhand, from the year 2018-19 to 2021-22 a total of 7120 Bee-boxes, Bee-colonies and toolkits, and other equipments have been distributed to a total of 712 unemployed and farmers, out of which 3910 Bee-boxes have been distributed to 391 Scheduled Caste beneficiaries, 790 Bee-boxes to 79 Scheduled Tribe beneficiaries, and 2420 Bee-boxes to 242 general category beneficiaries.

22-Nov-2022: Distribution of 600 Bee-boxes in backward and tribal dominated districts by Chairman, KVIC with the aim of promoting self-employment

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has taken a giant leap towards “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” by creating local employment to unemployed youth through its flagship “Honey Mission” programme. Today Chairman, Khadi and Village Industries Commission Shri. Manoj Kumar provided livelihood opportunity to unemployed youth under Honey Mission by distributing 100 bee boxes to 10 beneficiaries in Madhya Pradesh's Morena district, 200 to 20 beneficiaries in Chhattisgarh's Badekilepal, Turangur and Bastar districts and 300 Bee boxes to 30 beneficiaries Jalgaon district of Maharashtra through video conferencing.

Acting on the call of Prime Minister for "Self-reliant India", the Khadi and Village Industries Commission has identified backward and tribal-dominated districts and distributed a total of 600 B-boxes, providing 5-day training and equipment to the beneficiaries. Guidelines for providing proper marketing platform were given to the competent officers of KVIC by the Chairman KVIC. Shri Kumar also instructed to prepare new guidelines for providing other necessary equipment along with the necessary tool kit being given to the beneficiaries at present and adopting advanced methods of honey extraction process and transportation of bee boxes.

Speaking on the occasion Shri Manoj Kumar appreciated such creative initiative and said that involving youth with beekeeping would generate local employment; It will also contribute to increase India's honey production which is the main objective of Honey Mission. “It is a great initiative. We have taken another step forward towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat by providing employment to unemployed youth in tribal and backward areas at their doorsteps, he said.

The Chairman appreciated the work done by the women beneficiaries of 6 SHG groups working in sensitive and remote area of the country. He also assured all possible help to these women beneficiaries. He assured that all the issues raised during the interaction with the beneficiaries would be resolved. He also asked to explore the possibility of extending the benefits of Honey Mission program to retired army officers.

Chief Executive Officer, KVIC Shri Vinit Kumar said that beekeeping is aligned with the call of  Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for 'AatmaNirbharata' by promoting local industries to the youth. “Beekeeping will not only increase India's honey production but will also increase the income of beekeepers. In addition, products such as beeswax, pollen, propolis, royal jelly and bee venom are also marketable and, therefore, a profitable proposition for the local people”.

The Honey Mission launched by KVIC aims to generate employment for farmers, tribals, women and unemployed youth by connecting them to beekeeping and increasing India's honey production. KVIC has so far distributed 1,75,509 Bee-boxes in different states of the country, which has increased to 1,76,209 after distribution of 700 boxes today.

17-Sep-2022: KVIC Launches 72 units under Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme to empower artisans

Narayan Rane, Minister, MSME in the  presence of Chairman, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Manoj Kumar inaugurated 72 Units assisted under PMEGP and Disbursed Margin Money Subsidy to 720 PMEGP Beneficiaries on 17th September at KVIC Office, Mumbai today.

In his inaugural speech the Minister appreciated efforts of KVIC in assisting 72 units under PMEGP which were inaugurated today and also commended the cleanliness drive conducted on Juhu beach today. The drive is continuation of mission of Prime Minister to take Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan to every corner of the country. Minister suggested that such programmes should be done voluntarily without waiting for orders of the higher-ups  or other compulsions.

“It is mission of the Prime Minister to encourage entrepreneurial skills among youth so more industries can be started and thereby unemployment can be reduced. Only then India can become superpower. We should imbibe punctuality, sincerity and discipline among us,” exhorted the minister. Minister advised KVIC to use new marketing techniques to popularize the khadi

On this occasion he also inaugurated a training programme at Varanasi for  PMEGP entrepreneurs.

About PMEGP

The Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) is  a flagship scheme of the Ministry of MSME, which was  launched in September 2008 by merging the erstwhile Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP) implemented by KVIC and Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Yojana (PMRY) implemented by District Industries Centers.

This is a credit linked subsidy scheme for generation of employment opportunities through establishment of micro enterprises in rural as well as urban areas of the Country. KVIC is the nodal Agency at the national level to implement the scheme designated by Ministry of Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India – with the active participation of banks, State Khadi & Village Industries Boards, District Industries Centers (DICs) and Coir Board for coir related activities in both rural as well as urban areas of the country. Maximum cost of the project eligible for subsidy under the scheme in the manufacturing sector is Rs. 50 lakh, and Rs. 20 lakh in the service sector.

Till 15.09.2022 under this scheme, KVIC has sanctioned 25,105 projects, released more than 802 crore margin money and has generated employment for 2,00,840 people. KVIC expects that these 720 projects with 27.43 crore of margin money will generate employment for 5760 people.

KVIC Chairman ascribed this quantum jump in employment creation to the Prime Minister’s push for AatmaNirbhar Bharat in Manufacturing. “This big thrust to local manufacturing and self-employment by involving a large number of youths, women and migrants prompted us to take up self-employment activities under PMEGP.

Further, a slew of policy decisions taken by the Ministry of MSME and KVIC to expedite the execution of projects under PMEGP helped KVIC achieve its best ever performance,” he said.

KVIC, in recent years, has taken a number of initiatives for effective implementation of PMEGP. In 2016, KVIC introduced an online portal for PMEGP. Before 2016, filing of applications was done manually and on an average only 70,000 applications were received annually. But, with the online portal in place, an average of nearly 4 lakh applications are received every year. The online system has brought in greater transparency. PMEGP portal enables the applicants to track their applications without any human intervention.

In another major step, KVIC has also begun geo-tagging of all PMEGP units so as to verify the actual physical status of the units and their performance at any point of time. So far, more than one lakh PMEGP units have been geo-tagged. This also enables any person to locate the PMEGP units using a mobile app.

Further, the Ministry of MSME, based on the inputs provided by KVIC, removed the role of the District Level Task Force Committee in approving the PMEGP projects and authorized state directors of KVIC for approval of projects and for sending it to the financing banks.

KVIC also reduced the timeframe for scrutinizing and forwarding the applications to the banks by its state directors from 90 days to just 26 days. Further, monthly coordination meetings with the banks were started at different levels which, too, has resulted in timely disbursement of loans to the  beneficiaries.

Cleanliness drive by KVIC: KVIC  also conducted a cleanliness drive at Juhu beach today in Mumbai, under the Swachh Bharat Mission. Minister, MSME led this drive along with the Chairman of KVIC Manoj Kumar. A large Number of local officials including senior officers, employees of the Commission, other citizens participated.

15-Jul-2022: KVIC launches Knowledge Portal for Khadi by the Center of Excellence for Khadi

The Knowledge Portal for Khadi is a platform developed by the Center of Excellence for Khadi to provide design directions to the Khadi institutions. The portal was inaugurated by Ms. Preeta Verma, CEO-KVIC, on 14th July 2022. The Center of Excellence for Khadi has been set up by KVIC, Ministry of MSME at NIFT, to support Khadi Institutions.

Knowledge Port for Khadi attempts to disseminate design knowledge to a broader section of Khadi Institutions. The portal intends to create design intervention by simplifying the trends specially suitable for Khadi. Four stories/design directions have been conceptualised and presented in Volume I. Each story has a key theme, colour palette, and directions for woven designs, prints, textures, and surfaces. Every story has been separated into two segments - Home and Apparel. Besides the themes, the portal also provides size charts, silhouette boards, buttons and closures, seams and finishes for both home and apparel.

The information will be updated twice a year to provide directions according to the seasons and trends. It is envisaged that the information will be of value to not only Khadi institutions but also to organisations providing support to develop apparel, home products, and packaging for Khadi. The textiles showed in the portal as direction have been specially woven using varied thicknesses of Khadi yarns to explore possibilities of creating textures and structures for home and apparel.

The portal will be hosted on the website of the Center of Excellence for Khadi and can be accessed on www.coek.in

16-May-2022: KVIC’s Big Thrust to Wood Craft & Agarbatti Industry in Assam & Arunachal Pradesh to Boost Local Employment

As many as 150 trained Khadi artisans including 100 women artisans in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh are associated with various self-employment activities of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena distributed turn wood craft machines to 50 artisans in Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and 50 Agarbatti making machines and 50 pickle making machines to the artisans at Guwahati in Assam.

This is for the first time that KVIC has begun the turn wood training program for local youths in Arunachal Pradesh which aims at creating sustainable employment for local tribal youths in Tawang and reviving the traditional wood craft in the state. These wood craft artisans, all belonging to BPL families, were provided a comprehensive 20-days training by KVIC and upon completion of their training, the machinery was provided to these artisans.

On Saturday, Shri Saxena also distributed 50 Agarbatti making machines to 50 women artisans under the flagship Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Program (PMEGP) to set up their own Agarbatti manufacturing units. This also aims at strengthening the local Agarbatti industry, which is a major employment creator in Assam. KVIC has also roped in a business partner, which is a successful local Agarbatti manufacturer of Assam that will provide raw material and take back all the Agarbatti produced by these 50 women entrepreneurs by paying labor charges.

KVIC Chairman Shri Saxena said the Khadi activities in North East are aligned with  Prime Minister’s vision of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” by making youths self-reliant. “KVIC has laid great emphasis on creating sustainable employment and strengthening traditional crafts in the North East. KVIC’s support to turn wood craft, Agarbatti making and agro and food-based industries like pickle making will empower the local youths and women and create employment at their doorsteps,” he said.

Notably, in recent times, KVIC has opened two Eri Silk Training and Production Centres in Arunachal Pradesh and revived the Monpa Handmade paper industry in Tawang. Also, more than 430 units of bamboo products including Agarbatti and round bamboo stick manufacturing have been set up in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh by KVIC in the last couple of years.

30-Apr-2022: Khadi Exceeds Turnover of Rs 1 lakh crore in 2021-22

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has achieved a height which remains a distant goal for all FMCG companies in India. Thanks to the constant support of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, KVIC has, for the first time, clocked a massive turnover of Rs 1.15 lakh crore, which is unprecedented by any FMCG company in the country. This makes KVIC the only company in the country to have recorded a turnover of Rs 1 lakh crore.

In FY 2021-22, the overall turnover of KVIC stood at a whopping Rs 1,15,415.22 crore as compared to Rs Rs 95, 741.74 crore in the previous year, i.e. 2020-21. KVIC has thus registered a growth of 20.54% from the year 2020-21. Compared to the year 2014-15, the overall production in Khadi and Village Industry sectors in 2021-22 has registered a whopping growth of 172% while the gross sales during this period increased by over 248%. This massive turnover of KVIC has come despite partial lockdown in the country in the first 3 months, i.e. April to June in 2021, due to the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic.

Looking at the performance in the last one year, the biggest impact can be seen in the Khadi sector which has registered a growth of 43.20% from Rs 3528 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 5052 crore in 2021-22. In the last 8 years, i.e. from 2014-15, the production in the Khadi sector in 2021-22 has increased by 191%, while the Khadi sales have increased exponentially by 332%.

On the other hand, the turnover in the Village Industries sector alone has reached Rs 1,10,364 crores in 2021-22, as compared to Rs 92,214 crore in the previous year. In the last 8 years, the production in the Village Industry sector in 2021-22 has increased by 172%, while the sales have increased by 245%.

KVIC Chairman, Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena attributed Khadi’s phenomenal growth to the constant support of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to promote Khadi in the country. At the same time, innovative schemes, creative marketing ideas and active support from various ministries have also added to the Khadi’s growth in recent years. "Prime Minister’s repeated appeals to achieve self-reliance by promoting “Swadeshi” and particularly “Khadi” has done wonders. Today Khadi stands far ahead of all FMCG companies in the country. By employing new scientific methods and diversifying Khadi’s product range, KVIC has succeeded in achieving such massive growth which no other FMCG company can match," he said.

Notably, people have responded enthusiastically to the Prime Minister’s calls of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” and “Vocal for Local”. In the last couple of years, KVIC’s main focus has been to create sustainable employment for artisans and unemployed youth. Faced with economic distress, a large number of youths took up self-employment and manufacturing activities under PMEGP which increased the production in the village industry sector. At the same time, the sales of Khadi and village industry products grew significantly following the Prime Minister’s appeal to buy Swadeshi products. This is also evident from the fact that Khadi’s single-day sale at its flagship store at Connaught Place in New Delhi also reached the all-time high of Rs 1.29 crore on 30th October 2021.

21-Apr-2022: KVIC Puts Jammu & Kashmir Ahead of All Indian States in Creating Self-Employment Under PMEGP

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has just scripted the golden chapter of industrial growth and employment boom in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). In the year 2021-22, KVIC, in J&K, has established the highest number of manufacturing and service units under its flagship scheme- Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Program (PMEGP) and created the highest number of jobs in comparison with all other states and UTs in India. With a record 21,640 manufacturing and service units, J&K stands way ahead of bigger states like Uttar Pradesh (12,594 units), Madhya Pradesh (8082 units), Tamil Nadu (5972 units), Karnataka (5877) and Gujarat (4140 units). A massive 1.73 lakh new employment in J&K in 2021-22, under PMEGP alone, is also the highest across all states and UTs in India.

In 2021-22, KVIC had set a target of 3360 PMEGP units in J&K but buoyed by the Centre’s major push to local manufacturing, it ended up establishing a whopping 21,640 units and thus exceeding the target by a massive 544%. In J&K, these units have been established with a total capital of Rs 2101 crore. Out of this, KVIC disbursed a record margin money subsidy of Rs 467 crore while the Bank Credit flow was Rs 1634 crore. The margin money subsidy disbursed by KVIC in J&K is also the highest among all states/UTs in the country.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena attributed this employment spree to the Prime Minister’s vision for all-round development and self-sustainability of Jammu & Kashmir. “Such large-scale self-employment in J&K is a contribution of KVIC towards making the state self-sustainable and bringing it at par with other states in terms of development. The record number of PMEGP units in J&K is also a testimony of how people of J&K, after abrogation of Article 370 are participating in government schemes to strengthen the local economy and pave the way for overall development of the state,” Saxena said.

It is pertinent to mention that development of J&K has been the focus area of the Government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Special thrust has been given on creation of local employment in the state since 2014-15 and the efforts have been fortified since 2019 when J&K was made a union territory.

PMEGP was launched in the year 2008 and for the next 6 years, i.e. till 2013-14, this scheme progressed at snail’s pace in J&K. However, 2014-15 onwards, there has been a phenomenal growth under PMEGP in the state. Comparative data shows that KVIC had set up just 10,401 PMEGP units in J&K in 6 years (2008-09 to 2013-14) whereas, a massive 52, 116 units were set up by KVIC in the last 8 years, i.e. from 2014-15 to 2021-22. Similarly, the total Margin Money subsidy disbursed by KVIC in J&K in 6 years (2008-09 to 2013-14) was a meagre Rs 145 crore, whereas KVIC disbursed a whopping Rs 1080 crore as Margin Money subsidy in the last 8 years (2014-15 to 2021-22). Further, KVIC created a total of 85,719 employment under PMEGP in the first six years (2008-09 to 2013-14) whereas the last 8 years have seen a massive 4.10 lakh employment in J&K under PMEGP.

It is noteworthy that in 2021-22, a majority of the PMEGP units in J&K have been set up in districts like Baramulla, Badgam, Pulwama, Anantnag, Ganderbal, Kupwara, Bandipora and Doda that are largely prone to militancy.

As many as 16,807 (78%) of the 21,640 PMEGP units in J&K belong to the service sector, i.e. units like beauty parlour, boutiques, embroidery, mobile/computer repair shops, food outlets, etc. This is followed by 1933 units (9%) under rural engineering and bio-technology like steel fabrication and steel furniture, artificial jewellery making, Vermi-compost and bio-fertilizers units. Also, 1770 units (8%) pertain to the agro and food processing industry.

19-Apr-2022: KVIC Breaks All Previous Records to Create Highest Ever Employment under PMEGP in FY 2021-22

It’s been a year full of historic feats for Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) in executing the flagship Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Program (PMEGP). With setting up of an unprecedented 1.03 lakh new manufacturing and service units and creation of over 8.25 lakh jobs, PMEGP has emerged as government’s most powerful tool of self-sustainability in the year 2021-22, even as the country was under partial lockdown for the first 3 months of the year during the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic.

This is for the first time since the launch of the PMEGP Scheme in 2008, that KVIC has established over one lakh new units in a financial year. These 1,03,219 units have been established at a total capital of nearly Rs 12,000 crore out of which KVIC disbursed a margin money subsidy of Rs 2978 crore while the bank credit flow was nearly Rs 9,000 crore. The margin money subsidy of Rs 2978 crore given by KVIC in the year 2021-22 is also the highest since 2008. A whopping 8,25,752 new employment were created across the country, which is also the highest so far under PMEGP.

As compared to the previous year, i.e. 2020-21, the number of units and employment created under PMEGP has gone up by 39% each, while the margin money distribution (subsidy) has also witnessed a jump of 36% in FY 2021-22.

In the larger perspective, the number of units set up under PMEGP since 2014-15 has increased by 114%, employment creation has gone up by 131% and the margin money distribution has seen a quantum jump of 165% in the year 2021-22.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena attributed this quantum jump in employment creation to the Prime Minister’s push for local manufacturing to achieve self-reliance. “This big thrust to local manufacturing and self-employment in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic has done wonders. A large number of youths, women and migrants were prompted to take up self-employment activities under PMEGP. Further, a slew of policy decisions taken by the Ministry of MSME and KVIC to expedite the execution of projects under PMEGP helped KVIC achieve its best ever performance,” Saxena said.

KVIC, in recent years, has taken a number of initiatives for effective implementation of PMEGP. In 2016, KVIC introduced an online portal for PMEGP. Before 2016, filing of applications was done manually and on an average only 70,000 applications were received annually. But, with the online portal in place, an average of nearly 4 lakh applications are received every year. The online system has brought in greater transparency. PMEGP portal enables the applicants to track their applications without any human intervention.

In another major step, KVIC has also begun geo-tagging of all PMEGP units so as to verify the actual physical status of the units and their performance at any point of time. So far, more than 1 lakh PMEGP units have been geo-tagged. This also enables any person to locate the PMEGP units using a mobile app.

Further, the Ministry of MSME, based on the inputs provided by KVIC, removed the role of the District Level Task Force Committee in approving the PMEGP projects and authorized state directors of KVIC for approval of projects and directly send it to the financing banks.

KVIC also reduced the timeframe for scrutinizing and forwarding the applications to the banks by its state directors from 90 days to just 26 days. Further, monthly coordination meetings with the banks were started at different levels which, too, has resulted in timely disbursement of loans to the beneficiaries.

8-Apr-2022: KVIC launches “Banarasi Pashmina” to boost self-sustainability & Artisanal Creativity

From the Himalayan highlands of Leh-Ladakh to the banks of River Ganges in Varanasi – the heritage handicraft of Pashmina has got a brand new identity. The premium Pashmina products prepared by the highly skilled Khadi weavers of Varanasi was launched by Chairman KVIC, Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena  in Varanasi. This is for the first time that Pashmina products are being produced outside the region of Leh-Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir. KVIC will be selling the “Made-in-Varanasi” Pashmina products through its showrooms, outlets and through its online portal.

Pashmina is famed as an essential Kashmiri art form but rediscovery of Pashmina in Varanasi, the spiritual and cultural Capital of India, is unique in many ways. The production of Pashmina prepared in Varanasi liberates this heritage art from the regional confines and creates a fusion of diverse artistry from Leh-Ladakh, Delhi and Varanasi. The first two Pashmina shawls produced by the weavers in Varanasi were presented to  Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi by Chairman KVIC, Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena on 4th March, before the formal launch of Pashmina products in Varanasi.

The journey of Pashmina production in Varanasi begins with collection of raw Pashmina wool from Ladakh and which is brought to Delhi for de-hairing, cleaning and processing. The processed wool, in the form of roving, is brought back to Leh where it is handspun into yarn by women Khadi artisans on modern Charkhas provided by KVIC. The finished yarn is then sent to Varanasi where it is woven by trained Khadi weavers into final Pashmina products. As a mark of authenticity and belongingness, the name of the weavers and the name of the city Varanasi will also be subtly marked on the Pashmina products made by Varanasi’s weavers.

KVIC Chairman said that Pashmina production in Varanasi alone would add nearly Rs 25 crore to Khadi’s turnover in Varanasi.

The main idea behind this rediscovery of Pashmina in Varanasi is to generate sustainable employment opportunities for women in Ladakh and diversify the skills of traditional weavers in Varanasi, as envisaged by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. As a special case, the Pashmina weavers in Varanasi are being paid over 50 percent extra wages which comes as a big boost for these artisans. As compared to Rs 800 wages for weaving a normal woolen shawl; Pashmina weavers in Varanasi are paid wages of Rs 1300 for weaving a Pashmina shawl. Pashmina weaving in Varanasi would ensure round-the-year livelihood to women artisans in Leh-Ladakh where spinning activities are suspended for nearly half the year due to the extreme cold. To facilitate this, KVIC has also set up a Pashmina wool processing unit in Leh.

Notably, Pashmina weaving in Varanasi is being done by 4 khadi institutions namely: Krishak Gramodyog Vikas Sansthan, Varanasi, Shri Mahadev Khadi Gramodyog Sansthan, Ghazipur, Khadi Kambal Udyog Sansthan, Ghazipur and Gram Sewa Ashram, Ghazipur.

13-Mar-2022: Amid high Cotton prices in the country, KVIC’s Products Price Adjustment Reserve Fund Saves Khadi Institutions from Steep Price Rise

A far-sighted policy decision taken by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) in 2018, to create a special reserve fund to deal with market fluctuations and other eventualities, has come as a savior for all Khadi institutions across the country, just when the entire textile industry is grappling with a steep price hike of the raw cotton.

In 2018, KVIC had decided to create a Products Price Adjustment Account (PPA), a Reserve Fund for its 5 Central Sliver Plants (CSPs), to meet market-driven eventualities. These CSPs are purchasing cotton and converting it into sliver and roving for the supply of Khadi Institutions, which converts it into yarn and fabric. The PPA fund was created by transferring just 50 paise to it from each kilogram of the total sliver/roving sold by these CSPs.

Three years down the line, when the entire textile sector is facing the brunt of short-supply and a steep hike in the price of raw cotton, KVIC has decided not to increase the cost of sliver/roving being supplied to the Khadi institutions by its sliver plants across the country despite the cotton prices surging by over 110 percent. Instead, KVIC will bear the excess cost of Rs 4.06 crore on procurement of raw cotton bales at the increased rates from the PPA Fund.

It is pertinent to mention here that the price of raw cotton has increased from Rs 36,000 per candy to Rs 78,000 per candy (each candy weighs 365 KG) in the last 16 months. This has put a direct impact on production of cotton apparels by major textile companies across the country, that have also reduced the production by 30 to 35 percent in the recent months.

This decision of KVIC, which has been taken for the first time to create such reserve fund, comes as a big relief for over 2700 registered Khadi institutions and over 8000 Khadi India Outlets that are already grappling with production & marketing challenges due to restrictions imposed during Covid-19 pandemic.

KVIC largely purchases cotton bales from Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) for its 5 CSPs located at Kuttur, Chitradurga, Sehore, Raebareli and Hajipur, that convert various varieties of cotton into sliver and roving. The Cotton varieties purchased by KVIC are BB mod, Y-1/S-4, H-4/J-34, LRA/MECH, MCU_5 and DCH_32. The Price difference reported in these days is from Rs 13000 per candy to Rs 40000 per candy of these varieties. KVIC will require 6370 cotton bales of different varieties by 31st of March 2022 which, as per the current rate, will cost Rs 13.25 crores as against Rs 9.20 crores as per the old rates. The price difference of Rs 4.05 crores will be met from the PPA reserve created by KVIC in these days.

The reserve fund has ensured that the Khadi institutions in the country remain unaffected by the price rise and the prices of Khadi cotton apparels also do not go up.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said that this decision would save both the Khadi institutions as well as the Khadi buyers from any adverse impact of price rise. “Short supply of raw cotton from CCI and the consequent rise in price of cotton has hit the entire textile industry including Khadi. But KVIC has decided to continue the supply of roving/sliver to Khadi institutions at the old rates so as mitigate any financial burden on the institutions. At the same time, it will also benefit crores of Khadi buyers as there will be no increase in the price of Khadi fabric and garments. It is KVIC’s commitment to every Khadi buyer to provide Khadi at affordable prices in tune with Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of “Khadi for Nation”, Saxena said.

Khadi has nearly 9 percent share in the Indian textile industry and produces nearly 150 million Sq Mtr fabric per year. With this decision, Khadi has emerged as the only entity that is unaffected by the steep price rise of cotton. Khadi buyers and Khadi institutions, thus, have a reason to rejoice.

Khadi Institutions have unanimously welcomed the move and thanked KVIC for the big support saying this would safeguard the institutions against any market adversities. “Cotton prices have gone up by over Rs 70 per KG. This step of KVIC will help Khadi Institutions survive during these difficult times. Any hike in the price of silver and roving would have put a huge financial burden on Khadi institutions that are yet to recover from the impact of Covid19,” said Shri Sarthank Singla, Secretary of Khadi Udyog Jathlana, Ambala.

Shri Sanjay Shah of Bharat Khadi Gramodyog Sangh, Ahmedabad, said that hike in cotton prices would have a direct bearing on the production of Khadi and wages of the artisans. “If the cost of raw material goes up, the production will naturally come down and so will the wages being given to the artisans. I am thankful to KVIC that has saved the institutions and artisans from the crisis,” he said.

Cotton Price Comparison

27-Feb-2022: KVIC proposes lifting of “Export Prohibition” on Bamboo Charcoal for Higher Profitability of Bamboo Industry

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has urged Government to lift the “export prohibition” on bamboo charcoal for optimum utilization of raw bamboo and higher profitability in the bamboo industry. One of the biggest challenges that the Indian bamboo industry faces today is the extremely high input cost owing to inadequate utilization of bamboo. However, export of bamboo charcoal would ensure complete utilization of the bamboo waste and thus make the bamboo business more profitable.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena has written to Union Minister of Commerce and Industries, Shri Piyush Goyal, seeking to lift the export restriction on bamboo charcoal for larger benefit of the bamboo industry.

In India, bamboo is mostly used in manufacturing of Agarbatti wherein, a maximum of 16%, i.e. the upper layers of the bamboo, is used for manufacturing of bamboo sticks while the remaining 84% of bamboo is a complete waste. The Bamboo waste generated in Agarbatti and bamboo craft industries is not being utilized commercially, as a result, the Bamboo input cost for Round Bamboo Sticks is in the range of Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000 per MT as against the average Bamboo cost of Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 per MT. Compared to this, the Bamboo price in China is Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 per MT but their input cost is Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 per MT owing to 100% waste utilization.

KVIC Chairman Shri Saxena said the bamboo waste can be best utilized by making “Bamboo Charcoal” which, though, has a very limited use within the domestic market but it is hugely in demand in the international market. However, the Indian bamboo industry is not able to tap the opportunity due to its “export prohibition”. Considering the repeated requests of the industry, KVIC has requested the government to consider lifting the export restriction on bamboo charcoal. He said this would not only enable the industry to exploit huge global demand but also enhance the profitability of existing KVIC units by proper utilisation of bamboo waste and thus contribute to the  PM’s vision of “Waste to Wealth.

Notably, the world import demand of bamboo charcoal has been hovering in the range of USD 1.5 to 2 billion and has been growing at the rate of 6% in recent years. Bamboo Charcoal for Barbeque sells for about Rs 21,000 to Rs 25,000 per ton in the international market. Besides, it is also used for soil nutrition and as a raw material for manufacturing Activated Charcoal. Rising import demand is witnessed in countries like USA, Japan, Korea, Belgium, Germany, Italy, France and UK at negligible import duty.

It is pertinent to mention that an amendment in export policy for Bamboo products under the HS code 141100 was made in 2017, wherein exports of all the Bamboo products were kept in the OGL category and were “Free” to exports. However, exports of Bamboo Charcoal, Bamboo Pulp and unprocessed shoots were still kept under prohibited category.

Earlier, in order to create more employment in bamboo-based industries, particularly in Agarbatti industry, KVIC, in 2019, had requested the  Government for policy changes in import of raw Agarbatti and import duty on round bamboo sticks that were heavily imported from Vietnam and China. Subsequently, in September 2019, the Ministry of Commerce “restricted” the import of raw Agarbatti and in June 2020, the Ministry of Finance increased the import duty on round bamboo sticks.

As an implication of the policy changes, Agarbatti and bamboo-craft industries in India have witnessed the revival of hundreds of closed units. After the policy changes, KVIC has set up 1658 new Agarbatti manufacturing units under its flagship Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Program (PMEGP). Similarly, 1121 new bamboo crafts related units, too, have been set up across the country. This has not only optimized the use of bamboo but also created sustainable employment in rural areas.

9-Feb-2022: Khadi’s Employment Drive Transforms Tiger-infested Bali Island in Sunderbans

It is a historic transformation of the sleepy tiger-infested Bali island in the dense mangrove thickets of Sunderbans. The island, which was totally disconnected from the mainstream of development since Independence, is now bustling with Khadi activities.

Over a hundred tiger widows (Bag Bidhoba in local parlance) in the Bali island who were engaged with spinning activity by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) in 2018, can now boast of modern amenities, advanced equipment like charkhas and looms and marketing support to provide these women artisans with sustainable livelihood. To begin Khadi activities on the island, KVIC had set up a temporary structure three years ago, which has been converted into a permanent work shed now.

Chairman KVIC Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena inaugurated the newly built 3000 sq feet work shed and a 500 sq feet common facility centre for Khadi artisans at the Bali island. The “Tiger Victim Khadi Katai Kendra” is now equipped with 125 new model charkhas, 15 modern looms and provides employment to nearly 150 women artisans of the Bali island. KVIC has also provided these artisans with yarn dyeing machines and readymade garment manufacturing machines. The centre has been modernized at the cost of Rs 95 lakh which has been funded by KVIC under its Khadi Reforms and Development Program (KRDP) and Workshed Scheme for Khadi Artisans. The centre is being run by a local Khadi Institution of West Bengal.

Shri Saxena said the Khadi activities on Bali island are inspired by  Prime Minister’s vision of empowering the marginalized sections and reconnecting them with the mainstream of development. He said Khadi activities on Bali island will ensure financial sustainability of the tiger widows who were staring at a dark future after having lost the breadwinners for their families in tiger attacks. He said while the self-employment activities will help rehabilitate these hapless women artisans; it will also encourage other families to take up spinning and weaving activities to earn a respectable livelihood. By taking up Khadi activities, these artisans will be able to earn up to Rs 200 per day. He said the idea is also to desist these families from venturing into deep water or thick mangroves for fishing and thus mitigate the threat of tiger attacks.

Notably, KVIC had inaugurated the spinning centre at Bali island in 2018 and distributed 75 Charkhas to rope in local women artisans with spinning activity. KVIC had also distributed 500 Bee-Boxes with live bee colonies to empower the economically backward people of the island by providing them with self-employment. These artisans were also provided with comprehensive training by KVIC.

10-Jan-2022: From 14th January, Devotees at Kashi Vishwanath Temple to Wear “Khadi Handmade Paper Slippers"

The devotees visiting the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi and hundreds of temple workers will no longer need to enter the temple premises barefoot. Starting 14th January, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is beginning the sale of Khadi handmade paper “Use & Throw” slippers for the use of the devotees and the workers. The Khadi handmade paper slippers will be sold from the Khadi sales outlet located at the parking lot of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. The handmade paper slippers can be purchased at a nominal price of Rs 50 per pair. The slippers will be sold by Kashi Hastkala Pratisthan, a registered Khadi Institution in Varanasi. The handmade paper slipper manufacturing unit will be inaugurated by the Mahant of Kashi Vishwanath Temple on Makar Sankranti; i.e. on 14th January, 2022.

The development comes in wake of the jute slippers sent by the Prime Minister for the workers of Kashi Vishwanath Temple after he learnt that most of the people working at the temple performed their duty barefoot. It is forbidden to wear footwear made of leather or rubber on the temple premises. The entire workforce of the temple including the priests, security guards, sanitation workers and people performing seva have to abide by this rule.

Chairman KVIC, Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said the “use & throw” slippers made of handmade paper will maintain the sanctity of the temple and at the same time will also save devotees from heat and cold during harsh weather conditions. Also, these slippers will prevent any kind of pollution as they are made of natural fibres. “These handmade paper slippers will uphold the sanctity of the temple. These slippers are made of 100% eco-friendly material. The use of these slippers in temple premises will also create sustainable employment for Khadi artisans. KVIC will be selling these slippers from 14th January,” Saxena said.

Notably, Khadi’s handmade paper “use & throw” slippers have been developed for the first time in India. These handmade paper slippers are 100% eco-friendly and cost-effective. The Handmade paper used in making these slippers is completely wood-free and made of natural fibres like Cotton & Silk rags and agro waste and hence, suitable for use in places of worship. It is also effective from the hygiene point of view. These slippers have been developed by KVIC with the objective of supporting the handmade paper industry and creating sustainable employment for artisans.

7-Jan-2022: KVIC rolls out innovative “Mobile Honey Processing Van” to support farmers and beekeepers

Chairman KVIC Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena launched the country’s first Mobile Honey Processing Van at Village Sirora in Ghaziabad, UP today. Local MLA Shri Nand Kishore Gujjar and KVIC Member (Central Zone), Shri Jai Prakash Gupta were present on the occasion. The Mobile Van has been designed in-house by KVIC at its Multi-disciplinary Training Centre, Panjokehra, at a cost of Rs 15 lakh. This mobile honey processing unit can process up to 300 KG of honey in 8 hours. The van is also equipped with a testing laboratory, that would instantly examine the quality of honey.

The Mobile Honey Processing Van comes as a major development under KVIC’s Honey Mission which aims at training beekeepers, distributing Bee Boxes to farmers and helping rural, educated as well as unemployed youth to earn extra income through beekeeping activities. In line with Prime Minister’s dream of “Sweet Kranti” (Sweet Revolution) though honey production, the KVIC has come up with this unique innovation to enable beekeepers and farmers to get fair price of their honey produce. KVIC has designed the innovative Mobile Honey Processing Van that will process beekeepers’ honey at their doorsteps and thus save them the hassle and the cost of taking the honey to processing plants in far off cities for processing. While this will make beekeeping a more profitable business for small beekeepers; this will also maintain purity and highest quality standards of honey.

Addressing a gathering on the occasion, KVIC Chairman Shri Saxena said, the Honey Mission aims at increasing the honey production in the country and adding to the income of farmers and beekeepers. He said, this innovative Mobile Honey Processing Van will serve multiple objectives. Besides reducing the honey extraction and processing cost to the beekeepers, it will also eliminate any scope for adulteration of honey as the processing will be done at the doorsteps of the beekeepers and farmers. This honey processing unit will prove to be a boon for small beekeepers and farmers who are incurring extra cost for bringing their honey to other cities for processing and packaging. He added that based on the experience of the pilot project, more such mobile honey processing units, particularly in the North Easters states, will be rolled out.

It is noteworthy that transportation of honey to processing plants is an expensive affair for small farmers and beekeepers. To avoid high transportation and processing cost, a majority of beekeepers would sell their raw honey to the agents at their farms itself at a very low price. As a result, these beekeepers were not able to fetch the actual monetary benefits of beekeeping. This Mobile Honey Processing Van is likely to benefit the beekeepers in rural areas of states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan.

The honey processing van will move to different apiaries in these states where beekeepers will be able to get their honey processed at nominal charges that too at their doorsteps. The honey processing unit also comprises a laboratory technician and a technical assistant to look after the honey testing.

It may be noted that under Honey Mission, KVIC has so far distributed nearly 1.60 lakh bee boxes across the country and created over 40,000 employment. In the Western Uttar Pradesh region alone, which has an abundance of flora, KVIC has distributed nearly 8000 bee boxes to farmers and beekeepers which has multiplied their income and increased the crop yield through cross-pollination.

17-Dec-2021: Paramilitary Forces to feel the warmth of Khadi durries

The big Swadeshi drive in paramilitary forces has further accelerated with Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) receiving a fresh order for 77,600 Khadi cotton durries worth Rs 3.95 crore from CISF. With this, the total requirement of Khadi cotton durries from paramilitary forces has gone up to 2,68,458 worth Rs 13.60 crore, against which KVIC has made the first supply of 1000 durries on 12th December 2021 which has been approved by the forces. The balance quantity will be supplied in the lot of 5000 pieces every 10 days.

The development comes in wake of the MoU signed between KVIC and ITBP on 6th January this year for procuring Khadi cotton durries for the paramilitary forces. Earlier, an order was placed for purchasing 1,90,858 durries worth Rs 9.65 crore.

As per the specifications, KVIC will supply blue-colour durries of 1.98-meter length and 1.07-meter width. The cotton durries will be produced by Khadi Institutions of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab. This is for the first time jawans of paramilitary forces will feel the warmth of Khadi.

Of the total order of 2,68,458 durries, 1,20,300 durries will be supplied to CISF; 59,445 durries to BSF; 51,000 durries to ITBP and remaining 37,713 durries will be supplied to SSB.

The Swadeshi drive in paramilitary forces has begun on the instructions of  Home Minister Shri Amit Shah to encourage local products to support the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan”.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said the repeat order for Khadi cotton durries is a testimony of the excellent quality of Khadi products which is the hallmark of Khadi. “These bulk orders for Khadi products will not only encourage the use of Swadeshi products in our forces but also create large-scale additional employment for Khadi artisans. KVIC will ensure that the entire quantity of durries is timely delivered to our jawans while maintaining the highest quality standards,” Saxena said.

KVIC has developed the cotton durries as per the samples provided by ITBP and the same has been approved by the agency. The cotton durries prepared by KVIC have also been certified by Northern India Textile Research Association (NITRA), a unit of the Textile Ministry recognized by the department of Scientific and Industrial Research for testing the quality parameters.

4-Dec-2021: KVIC Rolls Out Project RE-HAB in Assam to Prevent Elephant – Human Conflicts Using Tiny Bees

Buoyed by the success of its innovative Project RE-HAB (Reducing Elephant-Human Attacks using Bees) in Karnataka, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has now replicated the project in Assam. On Friday, Chairman KVIC, Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena launched Project RE-HAB at Village Mornoi in Goalpara district of Assam which severely grapples with elephant-human conflicts. The project has been implemented in Assam with the support of the local forest department. Surrounded by dense forests, a large part of Assam is infested by elephants with 332 human deaths reported between 2014 and 2019 due to elephant attacks.

Under Project RE-HAB, “Bee-fences” are created by setting up bee boxes in the passage ways of elephants to block their entrance to human territories. The boxes are connected with a string so that when elephants attempt to pass through, a tug or pull causes the bees to swarm the elephant herds and dissuade them from progressing further. It is a cost-effective way of reducing human-wild conflicts without causing any harm to the animals. It is scientifically recorded that elephants are annoyed by the honey bees. Elephants also fear that the bee swarms can bite their sensitive inner side of the trunk and eyes. The collective buzz of the bees is annoying to elephants that force them to return.

A total of 330 interspersed bee boxes will be placed at Mornoi and Dahikata villages in a week’s time to ward off elephants. These bee boxes have been given to 33 farmers and educated youths of these villages by KVIC whose families have affected by elephants. Crop-raiding by elephants in these villages are reported almost every day for 9 to 10 months a year. The elephant menace here is so severe that villagers, over the last few years, had stopped cultivating their farms fearing elephant attacks. These villages have abundant production of paddy, litchi and jackfruit that attract elephants. High resolution, night vision cameras have been installed at strategic points to record the impact of bees on elephants and their behaviour in these zones.

Chairman KVIC said Project RE-HAB would prove to be a sustainable solution to the human-elephant conflicts that are very common in Assam. “Project RE-HAB has been a great success in Karnataka and so it has been launched in Assam with greater efficiency and better technical knowhow. I am hopeful that the project would contain elephant attacks in coming months and bring the local villagers back to their farms. At the same time, the bee boxes distributed by KVIC to these farmers will add to their income through beekeeping,” Saxena said. KVIC’S North East zone member Duyo tamo was also present.

Notably, Project RE-HAB is a sub-mission of KVIC’s National Honey Mission. While the Honey Mission is a programme to increase the bee population, honey production and beekeepers’ income by setting up apiaries, Project RE-HAB uses bee boxes as a fence to prevent the elephant attacks.

Project RE-HAB was launched at 11 locations in Kodagu district of Karnataka on 15th March 2021. In just 6 months, this project has reduced elephant attacks by over 70%.

Nearly 500 people die every year due to elephant attacks in India. This is nearly 10 times more than the fatalities caused by big cats across the country. From 2015 to 2020, nearly 2500 people have lost their lives in elephant attacks. On the contrary, nearly one-fifth of this number, i.e. nearly 500 elephants have also died in retaliation by humans in the last 5 years.

In the past, governments have spent crores of rupees on digging up trenches and erecting fences to dissuade elephants. Also hundreds of crores of rupees have been spent on compensation for loss of human lives. These trenches and barbed wire fences have often caused the deaths of elephant calves and thus rendering these ideas largely impractical.

30-Nov-2021: KVIC to begin Pashmina production soon in Varanasi

The globally acclaimed Pashmina wool products, which are indigenous to the high altitude regions of Leh-Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir, will now be made in Varanasi also. In a path breaking initiative, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has roped in 4 Khadi Institutions from Varanasi & Ghazipur districts in Uttar Pradesh for processing Raw Pashmina wool and weaving it further into woolen fabric. The Pashmina fabric will be woven in Varanasi. This is the first ever attempt to introduce the heritage craft of Pashmina weaving outside J&K and familiarize the artisans in the rest of India with this unique art.

Pashmina weaving in Varanasi will commence from January next year. 20 Khadi artisans from Sewapuri Ashram in Varanasi will be given 30-days training in Pashmina weaving for which 2 master trainers from West Bengal have been roped in by these institutions. These four Khadi Institutions of Varanasi division have started processing of raw Pashmina wool in Delhi. Nearly 200 KG of Pashmina wool processed in Delhi will be supplied to artisans in Leh by the first week of December. These Leh artisans will spin the wool by December-end that will be brought to Varanasi for weaving. The two artisans coming from West Bengal are highly trained in making Muslin which involves ultra-fine weaving which is very much similar to the weaving of Pashmina.

These 4 khadi institutions taking up the Pashmina Production in Varanasi are: Krishak Gramodyog Vikas Sansthan, Varanasi, Shri Mahadev Khadi Gramodyog Sansthan, Ghazipur, Khadi Kambal Udyog Sansthan, Ghazipur and Gram Sewa Ashram, Ghazipur. These KVIC recognized Khadi institutions have started procurement of raw Pashmina wool from Leh-Ladakh and brought it to Delhi on 15th November for processing that is de hearing and converting it into roving. The roving will be sent back to the Khadi artisans in Leh for spinning, who have been provided with 100 new model charkhas by KVIC.

The development comes after a meeting of Chairman KVIC Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena with the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Shri RK Mathur recently where LG informed that around 50 MT raw pashmina is produced in Leh-Ladakh per annum out of which, after cleaning and processing, only 15 MT dehaired wool is actually produced for production of Pashmina wool products. Even in just 15 MT dehaired Pashmina wool, a meagre 500 kg quantity, i.e. 0.5 MT only, is utilized in Leh-Ladakh by a few small units for manufacturing of Pashmina products, which is causing loss of employment in Ladakh.

These Khadi institutions of Varanasi have purchased 500 KG of raw Pashmina wool from Leh recently and brought it to Delhi for processing, i.e. dehairing and conversion into roving. Chairman KVIC, Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said, "this move will not only ensure utilization of entire quality of de-haired Pashmina wool of Ladakh but will also open new job opportunities for local artisans and availability of genuine and affordable Pashmina wool products in Varanasi. KVIC will provide online marketing support also to these khadi institutions. This will be a path-breaking initiative as the production of Pashmina would, for the first time, be done outside the J&K and Leh-Ladakh region.”

The processing of Raw Pashmina wool at Delhi was launched on 20th November by Chairman KVIC. The processed Pashmina wool would be supplied back to the artisans in Leh-Ladakh. The Pashmina Raw Wool Processing Centre in Delhi will ensure round the year supply of pashmina roving to the artisans in Leh-Ladakh where all activities remain suspended for six months owing to extreme cold.

The All Chang Thang Pashmina Growers Marketing Cooperative Society, Leh, from where Khadi Institutions are procuring raw Pashmina wool, has also welcomed the move saying this would support the local artisans of Leh-Ladakh. “We have supplied 500 KG of raw wool to KVIC and any further demand for raw wool will also be met as this would ensure adequate work to the Khadi artisans in Leh-Ladakh and also strengthen the local Pashmina industry,” said Mr. Thinlay, Secretary of All Chang Thang Pashmina Growers Marketing Cooperative Society, Leh.

KVIC, after one-month training, provided 100 new model charkhas of 8-spindle to the local artisans in 4 villages of Leh-Ladakh to start the spinning activities of Pashmina wool. These villages are: Likir, Saspol, Shakti and Leh city. These 4 institutions from Varanasi division have adopted the artisans and as a special case, have decided to pay Rs 20 per hank spinning charges. At present, artisans working on traditional charkha in Leh-Ladakh can produce only 2-3 hanks of Pashmina wool per day and earn less than Rs 100 per day. But now on the 8-spindle new model charkhas provided by KVIC, artisans will produce up to 15 hanks per day and earn up to Rs 300 per day.

Khadi artisans in Leh who have been provided charkha by KVIC, said this initiative of KVIC would ensure round the year work to us in Leh-Ladakh that would result in higher wages and our financial sustainability.

KVIC has also provided 25 high quality 48 inch width looms in Leh which will not only minimize the effort in weaving for artisans but will also produce all sizes of fabric. KVIC will further deploy more charkhas as soon as the work increases.

2-Oct-2021: Khadi pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi with world’s largest Khadi National Flag displayed at Leh

Pride and patriotism, the collective spirit of Indian-ness and the heritage artisanal craft of Khadi, brought the nation together in saluting the world’s largest National Flag, made of Khadi cotton fabric today at Leh. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has prepared the Monumental Khadi National Flag to pay the highest respects to Mahatma Gandhi, who gifted Khadi, the most eco-friendly fabric to the world.

The flag was unveiled by Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Shri RK Mathur, who said the Monumental National Flag would bind every Indian together with the patriotic spirit. Chairman KVIC Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena, MP from Ladakh Shri JT Namgyal and Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane were present on the occasion.

The Monumental National Flag measures 225 feet long, 150 feet wide and weighs (approx.) 1400 kg. Making of this monumental National Flag has created nearly 3500 man hours of additional work for Khadi artisans and allied workers. A whopping 4600 meters of hand-spun, hand-woven Khadi cotton bunting has been used in making the flag which covers the total area of 33,750 square feet. The Ashok Chakra in the flag measures a diameter of 30 feet. It took 49 days for 70 Khadi artisans to prepare this flag.

KVIC has conceptualized and prepared the flag to celebrate “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”, the 75 years of Independence. Since, handling and displaying the National Flag of this dimension required utmost care and precision, KVIC has handed over the flag to the Indian Army. The Army has displayed the flag on a hilltop in the main Leh city. The Army has prepared a frame to display the flag so that it does not touch the ground.

The flag has been divided into 9 equal parts weighing 100 kg each and each part measures 50 x 75 feet. Nefa has been provided on all four sides that contains 12 mm rope. A total of 12 high quality nylon ropes - i.e. 3 ropes each on top & bottom sides and 3 ropes on left & right sides have been provided with the breaking load capacity of approx. 3000 Kgs.

Further, each rope has a loop on both the ends that can collectively hold the weight of the flag.  These parts have been stitched together to make the flag and joints have been stitched in such way that the ropes inside the nefa will remain invisible. The inner lining of nefa is made of chemically coated Khadi bunting that reduces the friction from the ropes and prevent damage to the flag's fabric. Nefa has been provided in the tri-color so as to merge with the colors of the flag.

24-Sep-2021: KVIC Set up Odisha’s First Silk Yarn Production Centre to Boost Local Silk Industry & Create Employment

For hundreds of years, Odisha has been known for its exquisite Silk, particularly the Tussar variety, which provides livelihood to thousands of tribal people, particularly women. But the Silk weavers in the state were totally dependent on states like West Bengal, Jharkhand and Karnataka for the Silk yarn, which increased the cost of the Silk fabric.

However, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has taken a historic initiative to set up Odisha’s first ever Tussar Silk Yarn Production Centre at Choudwar in Cuttack district. This silk yarn production centre will ensure local availability of Tussar Silk yarn, create local employment and reduce the silk production cost. Tussar silk is one of the finest varieties of Silk that is distinguished by its coarseness and porous weave that give it a rugged and rustic appearance. The silk yarn production centre was inaugurated by KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena on Friday.

The development assumes great significance as Silk comprises nearly 75% of the total Khadi fabric production in Odisha. This silk yarn production centre will create direct employment for 50 artisans including 34 women, besides providing livelihood support to over 300 tribal farmers engaged in cocoon farming. This will also create indirect employment for weavers and reelers in the state. Every kilo of raw silk produced, creates employment for 11 artisans out of which 6 are women.

“Silk is the timeless heritage of India which is integral to our culture and tradition. It is also a key component of the Indian textile industry, particularly Khadi. With commissioning of this silk yarn production centre, Silk yarn will be produced locally and thus reducing the cost of Silk production. This will give a major boost to the sale of the famous Tussar Silk of Odisha and strengthen the traditional craft of Silk,” Saxena said.

Set up at a cost of Rs 75 lakh, the silk yarn production centre is capable of producing 200 KG of silk yarn worth Rs 94 lakh annually. The production capacity of this unit will be gradually increased to meet the increasing demand. This silk yarn production centre is equipped with advanced machinery like silk reeling machine, re-reeling machine, spinning machine and others.

31-Aug-2021: Vice President appeals to people to treat Khadi as 'National Fabric'

The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu today appealed to the citizens to treat khadi as 'National Fabric' and promote its use extensively. Shri Naidu called upon celebrities from various fields to come forward and promote the use of Khadi in a big way.

The Vice President was speaking at the launch of 'Khadi India Quiz Contest' organized as part of 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).

Urging everyone to take part in the 'Khadi India Quiz Contest', he said, the contest was an interesting way of taking us back to our roots as it recollects the historic moments of our freedom struggle and the unparalleled contribution of our great freedom fighters.

Recalling his visit to Dandi on April 6th this year to attend the concluding ceremony of the ceremonial ‘Dandi March’ organised as part of ‘Aazadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, the Vice President said that interacting with the marchers who had participated in the ceremonial Dandi March gave him an opportunity to relive the moments of India’s past glory and termed it as "a very enriching experience".

Describing India’s freedom struggle as a saga of bravery, resilience and devout patriotism, the Vice President mentioned how the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi galvanized the masses across the length and breadth of the country in the fight against colonial rule. Observing that men and women from all sections and all hues participated in the freedom struggle, he said “It indeed was an unparalleled phenomenon in the annals of human history”.

Recalling the supreme sacrifice of our freedom fighters, the Vice President mentioned that freedom fighters like Matangini Hazra, Bhagat Singh, Pritilata Waddedar, Rajguru, Sukhdev and thousands of others, did not think twice before sacrificing their lives to realize their common dream of a free nation. He said, "These valorous men and women made paramount sacrifices despite knowing that they would not be alive to see their dream turn into a reality."

He said that our freedom struggle was a journey of resilience and hope “which inspires us to keep moving no matter how adverse the situation gets”. He said that there was much to learn from our freedom fighters, especially the spirit of keeping the interests of our motherland ahead of everything else.

Shri Naidu expressed his happiness over the phenomenal turnaround of Khadi in the last 7 years and lauded the government, KVIC and all the stakeholders for accelerating the growth. "I am happy to note that KVIC has succeeded in establishing a pan-India reach and has connected people with sustainable self-employment activities even in the remotest corners of the country," he added.

The Vice President recalled the historical relevance of Khadi and said it was a binding force for the masses during the freedom movement. Shri Naidu mentioned how Mahatma Gandhi in the year 1918 started the Khadi movement to generate a source of income for the poverty-stricken masses and later turned it into a powerful symbolic tool against foreign rule.

Referring to the environmental benefits of Khadi, the Vice President mentioned that Khadi has zero carbon footprint as it does not require electricity or any kind of fuel for its manufacturing. He said, "At a time when the world is looking for sustainable alternatives in clothing, it should be remembered that Khadi as an eco-friendly and sustainable fabric certainly meets the requirement."

The Vice President called upon educational institutions to explore using Khadi for uniforms. He said that it will not only give students an opportunity to experience the many benefits of Khadi but will also help them connect with our great freedom fighters and freedom movement. "Due to its porous texture, Khadi is eminently suitable for our local climatic conditions," he added. He appealed to the youth to make Khadi a fashion statement and promote its use among everyone with passion.

Minister for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Shri Narayan Rane, Minister of State for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Shri Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma, Khadi & Village Industries Commission, Secretary, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Shri BB Swain and others were present during the event.

18-Aug-2021: KVIC’s Project BOLD Reaches Leh-Ladakh; to Protect Land Degradation & Support Local Economy

In a historic move, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) on Wednesday launched the first ever initiative to develop green cover over barren lands in the Himalayan terrains of Leh-Ladakh by planting bamboo saplings. In a joint exercise, KVIC and the Forest Department of Leh-Ladakh with support from ITBP, planted 1000 bamboo saplings at Village Chuchot in Leh over 2.50 lakh square feet of barren forest land that has remained unutilized so far. The bamboo plantation was launched by KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena in presence of local Councillors, Gram Sarpanch and ITBP officials.

The development comes three days after the Indian Army planted 20 special bamboo saplings at its compound in Leh which were gifted by KVIC. Bamboo saplings have been planted under Project BOLD (Bamboo Oasis on Lands in Drought) of KVIC which is aligned with the  Prime Minister’s call for preventing desertification, protecting land and environment and ensuring food security. Project BOLD is a part “Khadi Bamboo Festival” designed to celebrate “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”.

This bamboo patch in Leh will create a sustainable model of development by supporting local rural and bamboo-based industries. A large quantity of Agarbatti is used in monasteries which are largely brought from other states. These Bamboo trees can be used for developing local Agarbatti industry in Leh. It will further support other bamboo-based industries such as furniture, handicraft, musical instruments and paper pulp and create sustainable employment for locals. The bamboo waste can be used in making charcoal and fuel briquette that will ensure fuel availability during harsh winters in Leh. Also, Bamboos emit 30% more oxygen than other plants which is an added advantage in high altitude regions which is always short of oxygen.

KVIC Chairman Shri Saxena said the experiment of bamboo plantation in Leh was a challenging task given the difficult geographical conditions in the region. “In Leh, a vast area of land has remained unutilized for hundreds of years. As a result, even the black soil in the region has turned into rocks at most of these places. This made the digging of pits for bamboo plantation an extremely challenging task for KVIC. While digging the pits, these hard lumps were crushed and filled in the pits to provide a soft ground for bamboo roots to grow,” he said.

“Further, KVIC has chosen the monsoon season for bamboo plantation in Leh so that the plants get ample time to develop a root system and become hard enough to survive the snow fall and freezing wind in coming months,” Saxena said and added that if even 50 to 60 percent of bamboos survived, KVIC would carry out bamboo plantation on a large scale in Leh-Ladakh region next year.

Under Project BOLD, KVIC has so far planted 12,000 bamboo saplings (including 1000 in Leh) over 17.37 lakh square feet of arid land at three places - Village Nichla Mandwa in Udaipur, Village Dholera in Ahmadabad, Village Tanot in Jaisalmer districts and Village Chuchot in Leh.

16-Aug-2021: Project BOLD of KVIC gets Army support in Leh

The Project BOLD (Bamboo Oasis on Lands in Drought) of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has received Indian Army's support in Leh. On August 15, Army planted 20 bamboo saplings at its compound in Leh. These 20 saplings of special bamboo species were handed over to the Army by KVIC on 12th August at Jammu for plantation in Leh. This is the first ever attempt to grow bamboo trees in the high Himalayan terrains with the objective of preventing land degradation and developing green cover. In continuation with this effort, 1000 bamboo saplings will be planted at village Chuchot in Leh on 18th August. These bamboo plants will be ready for harvest in 3 years. While this will create sustainable income for the local tribal population; it will also contribute to environment and land protection as envisaged by the Prime Minister.

13-Aug-2021: KVIC to supply 1.91 lakh Khadi durries for paramilitary forces

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has received a supply order of 1.91 lakh Khadi cotton durries worth Rs 10 crore for paramilitary forces. The order has been received from Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) which is the nodal agency for procuring provisions on behalf of all paramilitary forces in the country. It follows an agreement signed between KVIC and ITBP for supplying durries on January 6, this year.

The development comes in wake of the Swadeshi push in Central Armed Police Forces by the Home Minister who ordered the use of Swadeshi products only in the forces.

As per the specifications, KVIC will provide blue-colour durries of 1.98 meter length and 1.07 meter width. The cotton durries will be produced by Khadi institutions of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab. An estimated 1.75 lakh man-days of additional work for the Khadi artisans will be created by this purchase order alone. This is for the first time KVIC is supplying Durries to the paramilitary forces.

Out of the 1.91 lakh durries, 51,000 will be supplied to ITBP; 59,500 to BSF; 42,700 to CISF and 37,700 to SSB. The supply order will be completed by November this year. The cotton durries prepared by KVIC have been certified by Northern India Textile Research Association (NITRA), a unit of the Ministry of Textile.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said, this order from ITBP is a testimony of Khadi’s popularity among the forces owing to its high quality standards. He said, KVIC is regularly supplying large quantity kacchi ghani mustard oil to the forces.

9-Aug-2021: Khadi’s new products launched by Government

Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC), under the Ministry of MSME, has launched two new products- Khadi babywear and handmade paper ‘Use and Throw’ Slippers on 15.07.2021.

it is true that the Khadi handmade paper ‘Use and Throw’ Slippers have been developed by Khadi & Village Industries (KVI) with the objective of supporting handmade paper industry, strengthening traditional art and creating sustainable employment for artisans. These slippers use thick handmade paper board and soft handmade paper as raw material and hence creates a new line of product which will not only increase the consumption of handmade paper but will also create sustainable employment for handmade paper industry artisans.          

One handmade paper ‘Use and Throw’ Slippers fabrication unit of the capacity of 500 pairs per day employs 20 persons per day for cutting, pasting, packaging and logistics.

Manufacturing of 500 handmade paper ‘Use and Throw’ Slippers require 225 sheets of handmade paper. This further creates employment for 9 persons per day in producing handmade paper industry.

The salient features of Khadi babywear and handmade paper ‘Use and Throw’ Slippers are given below:-

Salient features of Khadi Babywear:-

1. KVIC has introduced Babywear for the first time for the age group of new-born and upto 2 years.
2. Khadi babywear is made of high quality hand-spun and hand-woven Khadi Cotton fabric.
3. The fabric is eco-friendly and made using natural fibres to suit the sensitive skin of new born babies.
4. The fabric is free from any chemical treatment and harmful dyes to prevent babies from any skin irritation.
5. Fabric used in Khadi babywear is breathable and skin friendly.
6. The idea behind introducing babywear is to further diversify the product range for more consumption of Khadi fabric and ultimately creating more income for Khadi Artisans.

Salient features of Handmade Paper ‘Use and Throw’ Slippers:-

1. Khadi handmade paper ‘Use and Throw’ Slippers have been developed for the first time in the country.
2. Khadi handmade paper ‘Use and Throw’ Slippers are made of fine-textured handmade paper and are 100% eco-friendly and cost-effective.
3. Suitable for travel and indoor usage like in homes, hotels, hospitals, places of worship, laboratories, etc.
4. Hygienic from pandemic point of view.
5. Available in two types- flip flop and slip-on.

28-Jul-2021: KVIC & BSF launch Project BOLD in Jaisalmer to prevent desertification and support Rural Economy

In the first of its kind efforts to develop green cover in the Indian deserts of Rajasthan, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) on Tuesday planted 1000 bamboo saplings at Tanot village in Jaisalmer, in collaboration with the Border Security Force (BSF). KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena launched the plantation program in presence of Shri Surendra Panwar, Special DG (Western Command), BSF. Bamboo plantation, as part of KVIC’s Project BOLD (Bamboo Oasis on Lands in Drought) aims at serving the combined national goals of reducing desertification and providing livelihood and multi-disciplinary rural industry support to the local population.

The Bamboo saplings have been planted over 2.50 lakh sq feet of Gram Panchayat land near the famous Tanot Mata Temple which is located close to Longewala Post on the Indo-Pak Border. Situated nearly 120 Kms from the Jaisalmer city, Tanot has become one of most visited tourist spots in Rajasthan. KVIC plans to develop the bamboo-based green patch in Tanot as a tourist attraction. BSF will be responsible for maintaining the plants.

Project BOLD was launched on 4th July from a tribal village Nichla Mandwa in Udaipur district in Rajasthan with plantation of 5000 saplings of special bamboo species over 25 bigha of arid land. It is aligned with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s call for reducing land degradation and preventing desertification in the country. The initiative has been launched as part of KVIC’s “Khadi Bamboo Festival” to celebrate 75 years of independence “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”.

KVIC Chairman said the bamboo plantation in the deserts of Jaisalmer will serve multiple objectives, i.e. preventing desertification, environment protection and creating sustainable model of development by supporting rural and bamboo-based industries. “In the next three years, these bamboos will be ready for harvest. While this will generate recurring income for the local villagers; KVIC will also develop this green patch into a tourist spot considering the large footfall of tourists visiting Longewala post and the Tanot Mata Temple,” Shri Saxena said. He lauded the support of BSF in implementing the project in a very short time.

In the next 3 years, 1000 bamboo plants will multiply and produce at least 4,000 bamboo logs weighing about 100 MT of bamboo. At the current market rate of Rs 5000 per ton, this bamboo produce will generate an income of nearly Rs 5 lakh after three years and later on every year, thus supporting the local economy.

Bamboo can be used for making Agarbatti sticks, furniture, handicraft, musical instruments and paper pulp while the bamboo waste is widely used in making charcoal and fuel briquette. Bamboos are also known for conserving water and hence useful in arid and drought-prone regions.

25-Jul-2021: Manifold Rise in Khadi Sales following PM’s Push through “Mann ki Baat”

The sale of Khadi products across the country has grown tremendously since 2014, thanks to the repeated appeals of  Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to promote Khadi. Since October 2016, the single-day sale at Khadi India’s Flagship Outlet in Connaught Place, New Delhi, has crossed Rs 1 crore mark on 11 different occasions. This record performance of Khadi found a special mention in the latest episode of Prime Minister’s radio program “Mann ki Baat” aired on Sunday, 25th July.

What makes this performance even more significant is the fact that Khadi’s single-day sales exceeded Rs 1 crore for 4 times in October - November 2020, despite the economic distress and the fear surrounding Corona pandemic. Earlier in 2018 also, the single-day sales at Khadi’s CP outlet had crossed Rs 1 crore mark for 4 times. On 2nd October 2019, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) registered the highest single-day sale of Rs 1.27 crore at the CP outlet which continues to be a record till date.

It was for the first time on 22nd October, 2016, that the single day sale at Khadi India outlet in CP had reached Rs 1.16 crore. Earlier, the highest single day sale of Khadi stood at Rs 66.81 lakh that was recorded on 4th October 2014, just a day after the Prime Minister’s first address through “Mann ki Baat”. In the first episode of his radio program, the PM had appealed the countrymen to buy at least one Khadi product as it would help poor artisans to light lamps on Diwali.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena attributed the growth in Khadi sales to the constant support of the Prime Minister to promote Khadi. He said it is because of the Hon’ble PM’s appeals that a large number of people particularly youths have been inclined to buy Khadi. The growing buzz around “Swadeshi” has significantly helped lakhs of village industries prosper even during the challenging times of Covid-19 pandemic.

It is pertinent to mention that despite the severe impact of Covid-19 pandemic, KVIC, in 2020-21, registered its highest ever annual turnover of Rs 95,741.74 crore, as compared to Rs 88,887 crore turnover in 2019-20, and thus registering a growth of 7.71%.

22-Jul-2021: Honey Mission Programme launched by KVIC being implemented to promote BEE keeping activities.

The Honey Mission programme was launched by Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC), under the Ministry of MSME, during 2017-18 and is being implemented to promote Bee Keeping activities and provide self-sustaining employment opportunities among farmers, Adivasis and unemployed youth in rural India, especially in economically backward and remote areas. Under the programme, beneficiaries are provided with Bee Boxes, live bee colonies, tool kits and training.  Till date, a total number of 15445 beneficiaries have been assisted under the programme.

Besides, under ‘A Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries’ (SFURTI) implemented by the Ministry of MSME, traditional beekeepers are provided with sustainable employment by organizing them into clusters, and supporting them with new machineries and training.  29 Honey clusters have been approved under the scheme which will benefit 13388 beekeepers with Government of India financial assistance of Rs.68.65 crore.

Under National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM) scheme under Ministry of Agriculture, scientific beekeeping is promoted for holistic growth of the sector, leading to income and employment generation, livelihood support to farm and non-farm households.

KVIC has assigned the work of evaluation / assessment study of Honey Mission to M/s CRISIL (formerly Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited), Mumbai. The key suggestions of the report, inter alia include i) ensuring need based training & up-skilling, ii) training on financial services, credit facilities, iii) strengthening of handholding support on seasonal management and migration, iv) need on awareness on quality standards, v) formalising market linkages and branding and vi) convergence with the existing schemes for FPO building and cluster-based approach.

Under the Honey Mission programme of KVIC, it is proposed to form 08 Self Help Groups benefitting 80 beekeepers in the Bundelkhand Region in the financial year 2021-22.

10-Jul-2021: KVIC Secures Trademark Registrations in Bhutan, UAE & Mexico

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has recently secured trademark registrations in three countries – Bhutan, UAE and Mexico – a big stride towards protecting the identity of brand “Khadi” globally. Apart from these countries, KVIC’s trademark applications are pending in 40 countries across the world that include the USA, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Japan, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brazil and others.

While KVIC obtained the latest trademark registration in Bhutan on 9th July; trademark registration was granted in UAE on 28th June. With this, KVIC has succeeded in securing trademark registration for the first time in a Gulf country. Earlier, KVIC got the trademark registration for “Khadi” in Mexico in December 2020.

So far KVIC was having Trademark registrations for the word mark “KHADI” in 6 countries namely Germany, UK, Australia, Russia, China and EU where trademark registrations were granted in certain classes. However, with recent trademark registrations in Bhutan, UAE and Mexico, the number of such countries has gone up to nine. In these countries, KVIC has got registrations in various classes that pertain to Khadi fabric, Khadi readymade garments and village industry products like Khadi soaps, Khadi cosmetics, Khadi incense sticks among others.

It is for the first time in the history of KVIC that sustained efforts have been made in the last 5 years to protect the brand “Khadi” which was given to us by none other than Mahatma Gandhi.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said these trademark registrations will prevent any misuse of the brand name “Khadi” globally. He said in recent years, Khadi’s popularity has seen a massive growth in India and abroad due to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s appeal to adopt Khadi. It has, therefore, become very important for KVIC to protect the identity of Khadi and safeguard the interest of consumers and lakhs of Khadi artisans who are manufacturing genuine Khadi products.

The development assumes great significance as there have been instances of some private local entities in countries like Mexico and Germany seeking trademark registration for brand name “Khadi” in their respective countries. In Mexico, KVIC challenged the trademark application of “One Foundation Oaxaca Ac” which had applied for the “Khadi” logo. However, the firm did not challenge KVIC’s objections and trademark registration for the word “Khadi” and “Khadi” logo was granted in favour of KVIC.

Similarly, in Germany, KVIC challenged a local company - Best Natural Products GmbH ("BNP"), which in 2011 already got prior rights in the mark “KHADI” and related marks in EU and other countries in different classes. After long legal battle and negotiations through the Diplomatic channel with the help of the Ministry of External Affairs, BNP has expressed its willingness to settle the trademark disputes amicably with KVIC.

4-Jul-2021: KVIC’s Unique Project BOLD to Boost Tribals’ Income and Bamboo-based Economy in Rajasthan

A unique scientific exercise serving the combined national objectives of reducing desertification and providing livelihood and multi-disciplinary rural industry support has been initiated by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC). The project named “Bamboo Oasis on Lands in Drought” (BOLD) is the first of its kind exercise in India which was launched today from the tribal village Nichla Mandwa in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

5000 saplings of special bamboo species – Bambusa Tulda and Bambusa Polymorpha specially brought from Assam – have been planted over 25 bigha (16 acres approx.) of vacant arid Gram Panchayat land. KVIC has thus created a world record of planting the highest number of bamboo saplings on a single day at one location.

Project BOLD, which seeks to create bamboo-based green patches in arid and semi-arid land zones, is aligned with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s call for reducing land degradation and preventing desertification in the country. The initiative has been launched as part of KVIC’s “Khadi Bamboo Festival” to celebrate 75 years of independence “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”. KVIC is set to replicate the Project at Village Dholera in Ahmedabad district in Gujarat and Leh-Ladakh region by August this year. Total 15,000 bamboo saplings will be planted before August 21.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said the green patches of bamboo on these 3 places will help in reducing the land degradation percentage of the country, while on the other hand, they will be havens of sustainable development and food security

Member of Parliament Shri Arjun Lal Meena said the bamboo plantation program in Udaipur will boost self-employment in the region. He said such projects will benefit a large number of women and unemployed youths in the region by connecting them to skill development programs.

KVIC has judiciously chosen bamboo for developing green patches. Bamboos grow very fast and in about three years’ time, they could be harvested. Bamboos are also known for conserving water and reducing evaporation of water from the land surface, which is an important feature in arid and drought-prone regions.

17-Jun-2021: Khadi Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Records Highest Ever Turnover in FY 2020-21 Despite Covid-19 Pandemic

In a year completely marred by Covid-19 pandemic, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has recorded its highest-ever turnover. In the year 2020-21, KVIC registered a gross annual turnover of Rs. 95,741.74crores, as compared to Rs. 88,887 crores turnover in 2019-20, thus, registering an increase of 7.71%.

KVIC’s record performance in 2020-21 assumes great significance as production activities remained suspended for more than three months during the nationwide lockdown announced on March 25 last year. During this period, all Khadi production units and sales outlets too remained closed that severely affected the production and sales. However, KVIC swiftly rose to the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s clarion calls for “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” and “Vocal for Local”. The innovative marketing ideas of Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Shri Nitin Gadkari further diversified KVIC’s product range, scaled up local production and paved the way for Khadi’s successive growth.

Compared to the year 2015-16, the overall production in Khadi and Village Industry sectors in 2020-21 has registered a whopping growth of 101% while the gross sales during this period increased by 128.66%.

A host of initiatives like launch of Khadi e-portal, Khadi masks, Khadi footwear, Khadi Prakritik Paint, Khadi hand sanitizers, etc., setting up of a record number of new PMEGP units, new SFURTI clusters, Government’s push to “Swadeshi” and KVIC’s historic agreements with Paramilitary forces for supply of provisions increased the turnover of village industry sector during the pandemic. Compared to the production of Rs. 65,393.40 crores in 2019-20, the production in village industry sector increased to Rs. 70,329.67 crores in 2020-21. Similarly, in FY 2020-21, the sales of village industry products stood at Rs. 92,214.03 crores as compared to Rs. 84,675.29 crores in 2019-20.

The production and sales in the Khadi sector, however, slightly declined as spinning and weaving activities across the country took a major hit during the pandemic. The overall production in the Khadi sector in 2020-21 was recorded at Rs. 1904.49 crores as compared to Rs. 2292.44 crores in 2019-20, while the overall Khadi sales stood at Rs. 3527.71 crore as compared to Rs. 4211.26 crore in the previous year.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said that during the Pandemic people responded enthusiastically to the calls of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” and “Vocal for Local”. He said that during this period, KVIC’s main focus was to create sustainable employment for artisans and unemployed youth. Faced with economic distress, a large number of youths took up self-employment and manufacturing activities under PMEGP which increased the production in the village industry sector. At the same time, the sales of Khadi and village industry products grew significantly following the Prime Minister’s appeal to buy Swadeshi products.

29-May-2021: Big Boost for Khadi Artisans with Rs.45-crore Government Purchase Orders to KVIC during 2nd Covid-19 Lockdown

Ample employment opportunities for Khadi artisans have helped them fight the financial distress once again, as most parts of the country remain under lockdown during the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic. Despite a severe jolt to the manufacturing and service sectors between March and May this year, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has bagged purchase orders worth over Rs. 45 crore that would support the livelihood of lakhs of Khadi artisans. The purchase orders have come from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Indian Railways and Air India.

The MoU between KVIC and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for purchase of 6.38 lakh meter of poly Khadi fabric for Tribal students has been extended to 8.46 lakh meter fabric worth Rs.20.60 crore in April 2021. The order has been distributed amongst several Khadi Institutions in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana. The material will be supplied by June this year.

Similarly, the Ministry of Railway, between April and May, has placed purchase orders worth Rs.19.50 crore to KVIC. This will directly benefit artisans registered with over 100 Khadi Institutions across the country that are engaged in production of specialized material like sheeting cloth, towels, bed sheets, flag banner, sponge clothes, Dosuti Cotton Khadi, bunting clothes etc. Material will be supplied during June and July 2021.

India’s national air carrier Air India, too, will purchase 1.10 lakh amenity kits worth Rs.4.19 crore for its executive and business class international passengers.

The fresh supply order issued in the month of April comes despite the aviation sector, particularly the international operations, taking a major hit in the Covid-19 era. The Khadi amenity kit includes premium herbal cosmetic products like Khadi hand sanitizer, Khadi moisturizer lotion, Khadi lemongrass oil, Khadi handmade soap, khadi lip balm, Khadi rose face wash, essential oils, etc. that are manufactured by small village industry units.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said such large orders in these testing times of Covid-19 pandemic will bolster KVIC’s efforts of creating maximum employment for artisans and fulfill the dream of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. He said that during the lockdown, KVIC faces the biggest challenge of sustaining employment and livelihood of the artisans. The bulk orders from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Indian Railways and Air India have kept Khadi’s Charkha spinning which means employment and income for the spinners, weavers, allied workers and a huge workforce engaged in the village industries.

8-Apr-2021: KVIC's Innovative Project RE-HAB (Reducing Elephant – Human Attacks Using Bees) to be Replicated in All Elephant-affected States

Minister for Road Transport & Highways and of MSME, Shri Nitin Gadkari has hailed Khadi and Village Industries Commission’s (KVIC) innovative Project RE-HAB, which has significantly reduced elephants’ presence at four places in Karnataka’s Kodagu district. Shri Gadkari said the project has yielded very encouraging results in preventing elephants’ movement into human territories in Kodagu. He said Project RE-HAB has huge potential and it will soon be replicated in all states, affected by elephant attacks like West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. He also emphasized on participation of the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment and Forest for effective implementation of the project across the country.

Project RE-HAB (Reducing Elephant – Human Attacks using Bees) was launched by KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena last month, at four locations on the periphery of Nagarhole National Park in Kodagu district of Karnataka. It is a unique, cost-effective way of preventing elephant – human conflicts without causing any harm to both, the animals and the humans. Under this project, bee boxes are used as a fence to prevent elephants from entering human habitation, thus reducing loss of lives and property. Elephants fear that the honey bees might sting them in their eyes and the inner side of the trunk. Also, the buzz of the bees irritates the elephants the most.

Bee fences have reduced the movement of elephants at these points to a great extent. Night vision cameras installed at these locations have captured amazing footage of elephants’ behaviour on seeing bee boxes. A number of elephants are seen returning to the jungles fearing honey bees. Also, no destruction of crops or property by elephants has been reported in these areas since the bee boxes have been placed on the passageways of elephants.

KVIC Chairman Shri Saxena said implementing Project RE-HAB in other states will save hundreds of human and elephant lives. He said that “KVIC is set to replicate the project in other states, too, where a large tribal and rural population is living under the constant threat of wild elephants. Project RE-HAB will have multi-pronged benefits like reducing human-elephant conflicts, increasing farmers’ income through beekeeping, addressing climate change and regenerating forest cover”.

States like West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala are major elephant – human conflict zones where KVIC is planning to implement Project RE-HAB in a phased manner. Approximately 2400 people have been killed in conflicts with wild elephants across the country since 2015.

KVIC Chairman said that through this project, the locals residing in these areas will be trained for beekeeping and provided bee boxes which will be used to ward off the wild elephants.

2-Apr-2021: Amidst Covid Gloom, KVIC Blooms; Generates Highest Ever Employment under PMEGP

In a year marred by the economic despair surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has just recorded its best ever performance in job creation under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Program (PMEGP). In FY 2020-21 ending March 31, that was largely affected by the nationwide lockdown, KVIC disbursed Rs. 2188.78 crore to create a whopping 5,95,320 jobs under PMEGP, the highest ever since its launch in 2008. In 2020-21, KVIC established 74,415 projects across the country.

Hon’ble Minister for MSME, Shri Nitin Gadkari lauded the achievement of KVIC and said that creation of local jobs would provide livelihood to lakhs of people, in turn, bolstering the country’s economy.

In year 2020-21, against the margin money disbursement target of Rs. 2,120.81 crore, KVIC doled out Rs. 2,188.78 crore and achieved 103.2% of the target, nearly 14% more than margin money disbursed in 2019-20. In setting up of new projects and employment generation, KVIC achieved 106.2% of the target.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena attributed this achievement to the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s clarion call for “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” and “Vocal for Local” and constant guidance and support of MSME Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari.

The government’s thrust to local manufacturing has prompted many youths, women and distressed people to take up self-employment activities under PMEGP.

Two major decisions by KVIC regarding timely execution of applications also helped the cause. First, the timeframe for scrutinizing and forwarding the applications to the banks by its state directors reduced from 90 to 26 days. Second, monthly coordination meetings with the banks were started at different levels which has also helped timely disbursal of loans to the beneficiaries.

20-Mar-2021: Khadi Mujib Jackets to Add Sheen to Celebrations during Hon’ble PM’s Visit to Bangladesh

Khadi, the heritage fabric of India, is all set to catch eyeballs during the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Bangladesh on March 26 & 27. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has supplied 100 custom-designed “Mujib Jackets” that will be the attire of dignitaries during the visit of the Prime Minister.

“Mujib Jacket” is famed as the signature garment worn by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is called Bangladesh’s Father of the Nation. As Bangladesh celebrates “Mujib Borsho”, the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, had placed an order for 100 Mujib Jackets, ahead of the Hon’ble PM’s visit.

The specially designed Mujib Jackets have been made of high quality handcrafted Poly Khadi fabric. The black Mujib Jackets have been designed with 6 buttons, two pockets on the lower half and a front pocket on the left, as worn by Rahman. In keeping with the eco-friendly nature of the Khadi fabric, the covers for these jackets too have been made of black Khadi cotton fabric with Khadi India’s logo embroidered over it. These jackets will be carried in specially designed plastic-mixed handmade paper carry bags made at KVIC’s Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute (KNHPI) in Jaipur.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said that “Mujib Jacket is historically significant in Bangladesh and it is a matter of great pride that Mujib jackets made of Khadi will be adorned during the Bangladesh visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who is the biggest brand ambassador of Khadi”.

Shri Saxena said that “Mujib jacket is an immensely popular outfit in Bangladesh. For the older generation Mujib Jacket is symbolic of the ideology of their great leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman while it has increasingly become a fashion statement for the youths of Bangladesh. Likewise, Khadi, the heritage fabric of India, is a unique blend of tradition and fashion. Mujib jackets made of Khadi will add significantly to the historical and cultural values of the celebrations”. He added that this will also promote Khadi on the global and diplomatic platform in a big way.

The diplomatic consignment has already been dispatched to Dhaka. Since, the jackets were meant for diplomatic purposes, KVIC accorded top priority to it and delivered the consignment before time.

15-Mar-2021: KVIC Rolls Out Project RE-HAB to Prevent Elephant – Human Conflict Using Honey Bees

Imagine a herd of elephants, the largest animal who is equally intelligent, being shooed away by the tiny honey bees. One may call it an exaggeration, but, this is a reality in the forests of Karnataka.

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), on Monday, launched a unique project of creating “bee-fences” to mitigate human – elephant conflicts in the country. The objective of Project RE-HAB (Reducing Elephant – Human Attacks using Bees) is to thwart elephant attacks in human habitations using honey bees and thus reducing loss of lives of both, humans as well as elephants. The pilot project was launched at four locations around village Chelur in Kodagu district of Karnataka on 15th March, 2021 by KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena. These spots are located on the periphery of Nagarhole National Park and Tiger Reserve and prone to human-elephant conflicts. The total cost of the RE-HAB project is just Rs. 15 lakh.

Project RE-HAB is a sub-mission under KVIC’s National Honey Mission. While the Honey Mission is a programme to increase the bee population, honey production and beekeepers’ income by setting up apiaries, Project RE-HAB uses bee boxes as a fence to prevent the attack of elephants.

KVIC has set up 15-20 interspersed bee boxes at each of the four locations in the passage ways of elephant-human conflict zones to block the entrance of elephants to human habitations. The boxes are connected with a string so that when elephants attempt to pass through, a tug or pull causes the bees to swarm the elephant herds and dissuade them from progressing further. Bee boxes have been placed on the ground as well as hung from the trees to block the passage of elephants. High resolution, night vision cameras have been installed at strategic points to record the impact of bees on elephants and their behavior in these zones.

KVIC Chairman Shri Saxena called it a unique initiative and as a sustainable resolution to the human-elephant conflicts that are common in several parts of the country. He said that “it has been scientifically recorded that elephants are annoyed and even frightened of honey bees. Elephants fear that the bee swarms can bite their sensitive inner side of the trunk and eyes. The collective buzz of the bees is annoying to elephants and it forces them to return. Elephants, who are the most intelligent animal and carry their memories for long, avoid returning to the place where they have encountered honey bees”. Shri Saxena also mentioned that “the biggest advantage of Project RE-HAB is that it dissuades elephants without causing any harm to them. Besides, it is extremely cost-effective as compared to various other measures like digging trenches or erecting fences”.

Nearly 500 people die every year due to elephant attacks in India. This is nearly 10 times more than the fatalities caused by big cats across the country. From 2015 to 2020, nearly 2500 people have lost their lives in elephant attacks. Out of this, nearly 170 human fatalities have been reported in Karnataka alone. On the contrary, nearly one-fifth of this number, i.e. around 500 elephants have also died in retaliation by humans in the last 5 years.

Earlier, Central Bee Research and Training Institute, Pune, which is a unit of KVIC, had conducted field trials of creating “bee-fences” in Maharashtra to mitigate elephant attacks. However, this is for the first time, KVIC has launched this project in totality. KVIC has roped in the College of Forestry under the University of Agriculture and Horticultural Sciences, Ponnampet, for impact assessment of the project. KVIC Chief Advisor (Strategy & Sustainable Development) Dr R Sudarshana and Dr CG Kushalappa, Dean of the College of Forestry, were present on the occasion.

4-Feb-2021: People Patronize Monpa Handmade Paper of Tawang after PM’s push in Mann ki Baat

The sale of the 1000-years old heritage Monpa handmade paper or “Mon Shugu” is quickly catching pace, thanks to its special mention by Prime Minister in his radio program Mann ki Baat. Khadi and Village Industries Commission, which revived this ancient art at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh on 25th December 2020, has made Monpa Handmade paper available online through its e-portal www.khadiindia.gov.in.

On the first day of its launch, more than 100 sheets of Monpa Handmade paper were sold. The orders were received from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. The handmade paper, handcrafted by trained local artisans in Tawang, was put to online sale on Sunday (January 31) after the Prime Minister spoke about this ancient art. Monpa Handmade Paper is not only supporting environment protection but has also opened new avenues of income for the local artisans. The handmade paper sheet measuring 24 inch in length and 16 inch in width is priced economically at Rs 50 per sheet.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said owing to its religious and cultural significance, Monpa Handmade Paper had great market potential in India and abroad. “On the first day of its online sale, we received orders for over 100 sheets. The  Prime Minister’s appeal will definitely make this paper popular among people. We will explore new market avenues for Monpa Handmade paper that will strengthen this industry and local artisans in Arunachal Pradesh,” Saxena said.

Revival of this art assumes significance as Monpa Handmade paper was once produced in every household in Tawang and the paper was exported to many countries like Tibet, Bhutan, Myanmar and Japan among others. However, with the new technologies coming in, the handmade paper industry almost disappeared in the last 100 years.

Notably, Monpa Handmade paper is made from the bark of tree Shugu Sheng grown locally in Tawang and is identified by its distinctive translucent fibrous texture. The paper is weightless but its natural fibers add great tensile strength to this paper making it apt for various art works. Monpa handmade paper has been used for writing Buddhist scriptures, manuscripts and for making prayer flags. Writing on this paper is also known to be tamper-proof. The Monpa Handmade paper industry set up in Tawang aims at engaging the local youths with this art professionally and earn.

Initially, the paper unit has engaged 9 artisans who can produce 500 to 600 sheets of Monpa handmade paper per day. The artisans will be earning wages of per day Rs 400 per day. To begin with, 12 women and 2 men from local villages have been trained to make Monpa handmade paper.

29-Jan-2021: KVIC distributes charkha, looms, garment machines to 2250 artisans in West Bengal to boost local employment

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) rolled out a massive employment drive benefitting 2250 artisan families in Malda district of West Bengal on Friday. Aiming to create sustainable livelihood opportunities in the state, KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena distributed 1155 new model charkhas, 435 Silk Charkhas, 235 readymade garment making machines, 230 modern looms and 135 reeling basins to artisans’ families. The beneficiaries include nearly 90 %  women artisans who are engaged with spinning and weaving activities.

Distribution of these advanced tools is one of the biggest such exercises in West Bengal in recent years. This drive will be a big boost to the spinning, weaving and reeling activities in the Silk and Cotton industry in Malda. KVIC has disbursed Rs 14 crore to strengthen 22 Khadi Institutions of Malda. this exercise will also strengthen the readymade garment industry in the district which has been a major source of livelihood for local artisans.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said strengthening Khadi industry in West Bengal is aligned with Hon’ble Prime Minister’s dream of having a charkha in every household. He said this will also help to achieve the larger goal of providing job to every hand.

“creating large-scale employment in West Bengal by strengthening the traditional Cotton and Silk industry in the state has been the key focus of KVIC. Reviving the closed units, strengthening the existing industries and creating sustainable local employment for local artisans will not only ensure financial self-sustainability but also help  further   strengthening of West Bengal in the areas of cotton, silk and garment manufacturing,” Saxena said.

KVIC Chairman said the employment activities rolled out in West Bengal will boost the calls for “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” and “Vocal for Local”. “Empowering the artisans with advanced machinery will speed up the production activities and ultimately add to their income. This will go a long way in further reviving the old crafts of West Bengal,” Saxena said.

It is pertinent to mention that since many centuries, West Bengal is known for producing some of the finest cotton and silk fabric. The state is widely acclaimed for its Muga, Mulberry and Tussar Silk that was a major artisanal activity since generations.

The state is also popular for its world famous Muslin cotton. KVIC has, for the first time, provided online sale platform to  Muslin fabric through its e-portal, which has given big boost to Bengal's Khadi Institutions. Saxena also urged Institutions to explore new products like durries, blankets etc. for which KVIC is getting huge orders from paramilitary forces.

28-Jan-2021: KVIC revives Assam’ oldest Khadi Institution vandalized by Bodo insurgents 30 years ago

One of the oldest Khadi institutions in Assam, which remained in a vandalized state bearing the scars of Bodo insurgency for over 30 years, has been brought back to life by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC). The Khadi work shed at village Kawali in Baksa district of Assam, which was burnt down by Bodo insurgents in 1989, has been revived as a Silk reeling center by KVIC. Spinning and weaving activities will restart at the workshed with 15 women artisans and 5 other staffs in the second week of February.

The workshed was constructed by a Khadi institution called Tamulpur Anchalik Gramdan Sangh which shifted to Assam from Arunachal Pradesh following the Chinese aggression in 1962. It began operations with mustard oil production and by the year 1970, spinning and weaving activities also started there providing livelihood to 50 artisan families. However, tragedy struck when the institution was burnt down by extremists in 1989 and it remained defunct since then.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said the revival of this Khadi workshed assumed historical significance and that resumption of Khadi activities would create employment for the locals. “To begin with, KVIC will develop this unit for reeling of elegant Eri Silk of Assam. Other Khadi activities like manufacturing of village industry products will also be started in future. This center will become a major employment creator for the local artisans,” Saxena said.”This initiative is aligned with Khadi’s core Gandhian principle of “rural resurgence” which also coincides with the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision - Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas,” Saxena added.

This Khadi workshed is located 90 km from Guwahati. The workshed has been refurbished with the financial assistance from KVIC. The idea behind the workshed scheme is to provide better working condition to the Khadi artisans that will ultimately improve their productivity. In recent years, KVIC has revived several such Khadi institutions in states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Assam, Odisha and Tamil Nadu that were lying defunct for many decades.

18-Jan-2021: KVIC to sign two MOUs with Ministry of Tribal Affairs tomorrow aimed at creating local employment, strengthen Khadi artisans and the tribal population

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs will tomorrow i.e. Tuesday (January 19th) sign two MoUs. While one MOU is regarding the purchase of Khadi fabric for tribal students, the other MOU is on partnering of Tribal Affairs Ministry with KVIC as an implementing agency for Prime Minister Employment Generation Program (PMEGP).

The MoUs will be signed in the presence of Hon’ble Minister of MSME, Shri Nitin Gadkari and Hon’ble Minister of Tribal Affairs, Shri Arjun Munda. They are aligned with Hon’ble Prime Minister’s call for “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” as they aim at creating local employment by strengthening the Khadi artisans and a large chunk of tribal population across the country.

As part of the first MoU, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs will procure over 6 lakh meters of Khadi fabric worth Rs 14.77 crore in 2020-21, for the students in Eklavya Residential Schools being run by the ministry. As the government increases the number of Eklavya Schools every year; the quantum of purchase of Khadi fabric shall also increase proportionally.

Under the second MoU, National Scheduled Tribe Finance Development Corporation (NSTFDC), an agency of the Tribal Affairs Ministry responsible for economic development of tribals in India, will be roped in as a partner to implement PMEGP Scheme. NSTFDC provides concessional loan schemes for funding entrepreneurial ventures of aspiring scheduled tribes in all sectors of economy. The MoU will thus benefit the tribals by engaging them in various production activities and creating self-employment opportunities. The alliance of NSTFDC and KVIC will increase the coverage of PMEGP Scheme among the STs.

16-Jan-2021: Big Boost for Khadi Artisans with Railway’s Rs 49-crore Purchase Order to KVIC during Covid-19 Lockdown

Khadi activities got a major push during the last year – a year that largely remained affected due to the Covid-19 lockdown - thanks to a huge purchase order worth Rs 48.90 crore from the Indian Railway. While the railways purchased Khadi goods worth Rs 8.48 crore in December 2020 alone, it substantially created employment and income for Khadi artisans during the testing times of Covid-19.

The purchase orders from Indian Railways directly benefited artisans registered with 82 Khadi Institutions across the country that are engaged in production of material like sheeting cloth, towels, bed sheet, flag banner, sponge clothes, Dosuti Cotton Khadi, bunting clothes and others.

During the period from May 2020 to December 2020 (till December 21), Indian Railways procured Khadi material worth Rs 48.90 crore which kept Khadi activities going during the pandemic. Interestingly, Indian Railways purchased goods worth Rs 19.80 crore from Khadi in the months of May and June when the economy had taken a severe hit due to lockdown. Similarly, railways procured Khadi goods worth Rs 7.42 crore in July and August while it purchased Khadi products worth Rs 13.01 crore in the months of October and November.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena thanked Hon’ble Railway Minister Shri Piyush Goyal for supporting Khadi artisans by placing large orders to KVIC. “During the pandemic, KVIC faced the biggest challenge of sustaining employment and livelihood of the artisans. While KVIC engaged its artisans in making Khadi masks during the pandemic; it simultaneously received bulk orders from the railways too that kept Khadi’s spinning wheel on the move. This meant additional employment and income for the artisans which helped them overcome the financial distress and support the country's economy,” Saxena said.

Apart from supporting Khadi through direct purchases, Railways have also implemented policy decisions to strengthen Khadi artisans. In one such move, Railways have designated 400 railway stations where only earthenware is used for selling food and beverages to passengers and thus a major boost to the potters trained by KVIC under Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana. The Railway Ministry is in the process of notifying another 100 railway stations as “Plastic-free Stations”.

11-Jan-2021: Gadkari to launch innovative, eco-friendly, non-toxic wall paint tomorrow

Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways & MSME Sh. Nitin Gadkari will be launching an innovative new paint developed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission on Tuesday, 12th January at his residence. The eco-friendly, non-toxic paint, called “Khadi Prakritik Paint” is a first-of-its-kind product, with anti-fungal, anti-bacterial properties. Based on cow dung as its main ingredient, the paint is cost-effective and odorless, and has been certified by Bureau of Indian Standards.

Khadi Prakritik Paint is available in two forms – distemper paint and plastic emulsion paint. Production of Khadi Prakritik Paint is aligned with Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of increasing farmers’ income. The project was conceptualized by Chairman KVIC in March 2020, and later developed by Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute, Jaipur (a KVIC unit).

The paint is free from heavy metals like lead, mercury, chromium, arsenic, cadmium and others. It will be a boost to local manufacturing and will create sustainable local employment through technology transfer. This technology will  increase consumption of cow dung as a raw material for eco-friendly products and will generate additional revenue to farmers and gaushalas. This is estimated to generate additional income of Rs 30,000 (approx.) per annum per animal to farmers/ gaushalas. Utilization of cow dung will also clean the environment and prevent clogging of drains.

Khadi Prakritik Distemper & Emulsion Paints have been tested at 3 reputed National Laboratories

• National Test House, Mumbai
• Shri Ram Institute for Industrial Research, New Delhi
• National Test House, Ghaziabad

Khadi Prakritik Emulsion paint meets BIS 15489:2013 standards; whereas Khadi Prakritik Distemper paint meets BIS 428:2013 standards.

6-Jan-2021: Khadi and Village Industries Commission Signs MoU with ITBP

The big Swadeshi drive in paramilitary forces envisaged by Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah has gained fresh momentum with a new agreement for supply of Khadi cotton durries to the forces. In another first, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) today signed a MoU with ITBP for supply of 1.72 lakh cotton durries every year. The agreement was signed by Deputy CEO KVIC and DIG, ITBP, in presence of KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena and Additional Secretary (Home) Shri Vivek Bhardwaj and other officials of CAPFs.

The agreement has been signed for one year which will be renewed thereafter. The total value of 1.72 lakh durries is Rs 8.74 crore.

The development comes in wake of the instructions of Union Home Minister to the paramilitary forces to encourage local products in a bid to support the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan” initiated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Union Minister for MSME, Shri Nitin Gadkari welcomed the move.

As per the specifications, KVIC will provide blue-colour durries of 1.98 m length and 1.07 m width. The cotton durries will be produced by Khadi artisans in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab. The next products in the pipeline are Khadi blankets, bed sheets, pillow covers, pickles, honey, papad and cosmetics, etc.

KVIC Chairman termed the development as ‘historic’ saying this would not only encourage the use of Swadeshi products in our forces but also create large scale additional employment for Khadi artisans. “Providing best quality products to our jawans and timely delivery of consignment will be the top priority of KVIC. The purchase orders from the CAPFs is also a matter of pride for Khadi artisans who are serving country’s jawans in their own ways,” Saxena said.

KVIC developed the cotton durries as per the samples provided by ITBP and the same has been approved by agency. The cotton durries prepared by KVIC have also been certified by Northern India Textile Research Association (NITRA), a unit of the Textile Ministry recognized by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Earlier, on July 31 last year, KVIC had signed an agreement with ITBP for supplying Kacchi Ghani mustard oil which has been successfully supplied. The ITBP is the nodal agency appointed by MHA for the procurement of provisions on behalf of all paramilitary forces.

1-Jan-2021: Ministry’s khadi arm- Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC) launches E-commerce Portal: ekhadiindia.com

On New Year’s eve, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) unveils Khadi India’s official e-Commerce site eKhadiIndia.com. The website catalogues over 50,000 products under more than 500 varieties and various categories of locally made Khadi and Village Industries products. The portal is a step towards building an ecosystem that enables MSMEs to help achieve the Prime Minister’s goal of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.

During the trial launch of the portal, Secretary, MSME Shri A.K. Sharma  mentioned that the interest of our weavers, artisans, craftsmen and farmers has always been our top priority. At the same time, ecofriendly and authentic Khadi & traditional village industry products made by them have always remained close to the heart of people of India. Now, those products are just a click away. Portal will fulfill the customer’s needs and supply the products at their door steps. For last few months, we have been pushing all limits to create an ecosystem for withstanding the challenges of Covid. The ecommerce portal of KVIC is the result of our persistent work in that direction.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena during the launch function informed that ekhadiindia.com is the first of its kind government online shopping platform to boost rural economy and become self-sustainable. There has been a steady rise in demands for Khadi and Village Industries products over the last few years with 2018-2019 alone witnessing the surge of 25%. Chairman KVIC added that this move is mainly intended to make natural Khadi India products easily accessible to the new generation consumers.

The products range from apparel, grocery, cosmetics, home décor, health and wellness products, essentials and gifts. Cashing on the growing shift towards natural products, especially by the new generation consumers, KVIC is up for giving it all for repositioning India's legendary brand Khadi. The portal is also an answer to the call of youth demographics who prefer online shopping over offline shopping.

The Key Components of ekhadiindia.com that sets it apart from other online ecommerce platforms:-

• Exclusively focuses on Khadi and Villages Industries products.
• Authentic Khadi Trade Mark products will be available only through this portal.
• It’s built on an ecosystem where any SME/Artisans/ Weavers can directly sell their products thus driving the country towards digital India and “Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.
• The ekhadiindia.com website is at par with any other modern technology rich ecommerce portal.
• Portal has also features of bulk orders and direct sellers registration.
• A huge platform for all the stake holders in integration with KVIC/KVIB/PMEGP/ SFURTI/ MSME/ Entrepreneurs and   support to new MSMEs/PMEGP Units under the umbrella of KVIC. Here   Institutions/ Units can directly sell/ship products to the customers.
• Customer care facility; all refund policy.
• More than 50,000 users can use the Portal at the same time.
• Social media compatibility.
• Available in both website and mobile app versions.
• Digitized Payment ecosystem.
• Has pan India reach across 1.2Bn+ Population of 2400+ Cities /Towns 25600 from 29 States Last Mile Delivery.
• Launched with a wide range of 1500+ Products across various consumer verticals.

KVIC is one of the biggest employment  providers in the country and  which is bringing to life Prime Minister's vision of Digital India through its various innovations. KVIC envisages to emerge as a new age digital marketplace for weavers, artisans, craftsmen, farmers and micro/ small entrepreneurs of India with the Khadi and Village Industries.

26-Dec-2020: KVIC Brings Alive 1000-yrs Old Monpa Handmade Paper Industry in Tawang to Revive the Heritage Art

The 1000-year old heritage art – the Monpa Handmade Paper of Arunachal Pradesh – which was driven to the extinction, has come to life once again, with the  committed efforts of  Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).

The art of making Monpa handmade paper originated over 1000 years ago. Gradually the art became an integral part of local custom and culture in Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. Once produced in every household in Tawang, this handmade paper was a major source of livelihood for the locals. However, the handmade paper industry almost disappeared in the last 100 years; prompting KVIC to plan revival of this ancient art.

KVIC on Friday commissioned a Monpa handmade paper making unit in Tawang which not only aims at reviving the art but also engaging the local youths with this art professionally and earn. The unit was inaugurated by KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena in presence of local people and officials. Inauguration of the paper unit is a historic event for the locals.

The fine-textured handmade paper, which is called Mon Shugu in the local dialect, is integral to the vibrant culture of the local tribes in Tawang. The paper has great historic and religious significance as it is the paper used for writing Buddhist scriptures and hymns in monasteries. The Monpa handmade paper, will be made from the bark of a local tree called Shugu Sheng, which has medicinal values too. Hence availability of raw material will not be a problem.

Back then, such was the scale of production that Monpas used to sell these papers to  countries like Tibet, Bhutan ,Thailand and Japan as no paper making industry existed in these countries at that time. However, the local industry gradually began declining and the indigenous handmade paper was taken over by inferior Chinese paper.

An attempt for the revival of the this  handmade paper industry was made in 1994 but failed as it was a mountainous task owing to various geographical challenges in Tawang. However, with the  strong resolve of higher management of KVIC, the unit was successfully established despite many challenges. On the instruction of KVIC Chairman, a team of scientists and officials of Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute, (KNHPI) Jaipur, was deputed at Tawang to  set up the unit and training the locals.  Over six months of rigorous efforts bore fruits and a unit has been commissioned at Tawang.

Initially, the paper unit has engaged 9 artisans who can produce 500 to 600 sheets of Monpa handmade paper per day. The artisans will be earning wages of per day Rs 400 per day. To begin with, 12 women and 2 men from local villages have been trained to make Monpa handmade paper. KNHPI is a unit of KVIC.

The most challenging task for KVIC officials was to transport the machines to Tawang owing to its difficult mountainous terrains and inclement weather conditions. The Arunachal Pradesh Government lent full support to the project and offered a  building  on a nominal rent to set up the unit.

The KVIC Chairman said reviving the Monpa handmade paper industry and increasing its commercial production was the key objective of KVIC. “Owing to its peculiarity, this handmade paper has high commercial value that can be harnessed to create local employment in Arunachal Pradesh. By increasing production of Monpa handmade paper, it can again be exported to other countries and regain the space occupied by China in the last few decades. This is a local product with great global potential, which is aligned with the Mantra of “Local to Global” given by the Prime Minister,” Saxena said.

“The fatigue from the 15 hours of road journey from  Guwahati to Tawang in this difficult terrain just vanished on witnessing this paper unit coming to life again. It is, indeed, a privilege to have inaugurated the unit that will revive this local art,” Saxena said while lauding the KVIC- KNHPI officials for their hard work and Arunachal Pradesh Government for their support to the project.

Apart from handmade paper, Tawang is known for two other local crafts – handmade pottery and handmade furniture – that are also getting extinct with passage of time. KVIC Chairman announced that within six months plans will be rolled out for revival of these two local arts. “Revival of handmade pottery will be taken up on priority under Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana very soon,” Saxena said.

The Monpa handmade paper unit will also serve as a training center for the local youths. KVIC will provide marketing support and explore markets for the locally manufactured handmade paper. KVIC plans to set up more such units in different parts of the country. Saxena said KVIC will also begin production of innovative plastic-mixed handmade paper in Tawang that will be crucial for reducing plastic waste in the region.

30-Nov-2020: KVIC’s Honey Mission Earns First Income for Migrant Workers

The self-sustainability measures initiated by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic have begun yielding results. The distressed migrant workers who were engaged with KVIC’s Honey Mission in Uttar Pradesh in the month of August, have reaped their first honey harvest and are awaiting a bumper yield in the months from December to March.

To begin with, five migrant workers in Western UP’s Muzaffarnagar district extracted 253 kg of honey from their 50 honey bee boxes that were distributed to them on August 25 this year. Raw honey sells at an average of Rs 200 per kg and at this rate it is estimated to fetch nearly Rs 50,000 to the migrant workers.  This means an average income of Rs 10,000 to each of these beneficiaries. A total of 700 bee boxes were distributed to 70 migrant workers after training by KVIC in this region. Honey extraction from remaining bee boxes will continue in coming days.

The production of honey from these boxes will increase by at least 5 times in the months from December to March as the Eucalyptus and Mustard crop will be in full bloom during the season. Each of these bee boxes will produce nearly 25 kg of honey during the peak season. Further, the beekeepers will be able to migrate their boxes to nearby states like Haryana, Rajasthan and Eastern Uttar Pradesh where honey bees will find abundance of pollen and nectar and thus add to honey production.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said it was heartening to see the migrant workers reconnecting to their roots and engaging in self-employment. “These distressed workers who had returned to their home from other cities were roped in with Honey Mission as part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. It is great to see that in just three months the workers have begun earning livelihood on their own. The production of honey and their income will grow by manifold in coming months,” Saxena said.

The beneficiaries thanked KVIC for the support and said beekeeping enabled them to earn their own livelihood without having to migrate to other cities in search of jobs. “I am thankful to the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi whose vision for Aatmanirbhar Bharat has created local employment for us. We are five workers who got 50 bee boxes and in just 3 months we have extracted 253 kg of honey,” said Amit Kumar, a KVIC beekeeper in Saharanpur district.

Notably, responding to the Prime Minister’s call for Aatmanirbhar Bharat, KVIC engaged hundreds of migrant workers in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and engaged them with its flagship schemes like Honey Mission, Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana and Project DigniTEA among others. Apart from distributing them with essential tool kits; KVIC also provided technical training and supervision to the new beekeepers so as to support them.

17-Sep-2020: MPs Shri Arun Singh & Meenakashi Lekhi launch KVIC’s Innovative Project DigniTEA in Delhi

To celebrate Sewa Diwas, which marks the birthday of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) distributed 6 innovative cycle-mounted Tea/Coffee Selling units under Project DigniTEA in New Delhi on Thursday. The cycle-mounted tea/coffee selling units have been distributed to 6 unemployed local youths by Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) Shri Arun Singh, and MP from New Delhi, Smt Meenakashi Lekhi in presence of KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena. These units will enable tea-sellers to earn a respectable livelihood while selling the beverages hygienically.

Each cycle-mounted Tea/Coffee Selling unit costs Rs 18,000 and has the provision for gas stove, gas cylinder, an umbrella, utensils and separate containers to keep tea, sugar, cups and snacks properly. On Thursday, KVIC also distributed 17 such units in different cities like Varanasi, Jaipur and Chandigarh.

Shri Arun Singh lauded this initiative of KVIC saying it was conceived keeping in view the welfare of the poor. The cycles were flagged off by Shri Singh from the office of Smt Lekhi at Mahadev Road. Smt Lekhi also said this KVIC initiative will enable poor to earn their livelihood with dignity.

KVIC Chairman said the cycle-mounted Tea/Coffee Selling unit is an innovative and cost-effective way of creating sustainable self-employment and distribution of these units aims at extending the benefit of welfare schemes to the poorest of the poor. “These cycle units are well equipped. It has been designed keeping in mind the logistical requirements and hygiene while selling tea/coffee to public,” Saxena said.

25-Aug-2020: Honey Mission Propels Self-Employment for Migrant Workers; 700 bee boxes distributed in Western UP

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has taken a big leap towards “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” by creating local employment for migrant workers through its flagship “Honey Mission” program. Minister of State for MSME, Shri Pratap Chandra Sarangi distributed 700 bee boxes to 70 migrant workers of Saharanpur and Bulandshahr districts of Uttar Pradesh today and thus providing them with livelihood opportunity under Honey Mission.

These migrant workers – 40 from Saharanpur and 30 from Bulandshahr – had returned to their hometown from states like Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, facing financial distress due to Covid-19 lockdown. Rising to the call of the Prime Minister for “Aatmanirbhar Bharat”, KVIC identified these workers, imparted them 5-days training on beekeeping and provided the necessary tool kit and bee boxes to them to carry out beekeeping activities. The entire western Uttar Pradesh region, with abundance of flora that includes a variety of crops, is ideal for honey production. Bee boxes were distributed at KVIC’s training center in Panjokera.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Sarangi lauded the initiative and said while roping in these workers with beekeeping will create local employment; it will also contribute to increasing India’s honey production which is the core objective of Honey Mission. “It is a great initiative. Creating employment to migrant workers at their doorsteps will make them self-reliant,” the Minister said.

KVIC Chairman, Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena who was also present on the occasion, said roping in migrant workers with beekeeping is aligned with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s call for ‘self-reliance’ by promoting local industries. “Beekeeping will not only increase India’s honey production but it will also increase the income of the beekeepers. Further, products such as bee wax, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, and bee venom are also marketable and hence, a profitable proposition for the locals,” Saxena said.

The migrant workers, who were provided with bee boxes and the tool kit, expressed happiness over the government support shared their experiences saying they would no longer need to leave their homes in search of jobs in other states. Ankit Kumar, who returned to his hometown Saharanpur from Karnataka, said he was rendered jobless in the lockdown. However, with KVIC’s support, he was now self-employed again. Another migrant worker, Mohit, who worked in Maharashtra, said he would not have to leave his family behind while searching for job in other cities and that by engaging with Honey Mission, he will be able to make a better livelihood.

Notably, the Honey Mission launched by KVIC 3 years ago aims at creating employment for farmers, Adivasis, women and unemployed youth by roping them with beekeeping and increasing India’s honey production. So far, KVIC has distributed 1.35 lakh bee boxes in states like Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Tripura among others. This has benefited 13,500 people across the country while producing nearly 8500 MT honey.

21-Jun-2020: KVIC starts reviving ancient glory of Pokhran potteries

Seeking to restore the lost glory of the once-most famous pottery of Pokhran, a small town in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan where India conducted its 1st nuclear test, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) today distributed 80 electric potter wheels to 80 potter families in Pokhran which has a rich heritage in terracotta products. Pokhran has over 300 potters’ families that are engaged with pottery for several decades, but potters started looking for other avenues due to heavy drudgery in the work and no market support.

Apart from the electric wheels, the KVIC also distributed 8 blunger machines in a group of 10 potters, used for mixing the clay which can produce 800 kg clay in just 8 hours. Manually it takes 5 days to prepare 800 kg mud for pottery making. KVIC has created 350 direct employment in the village. All 80 potters who were given 15 days training by KVIC came up with some exquisite pottery. The products ranged from Kulhar to decorative pieces like flower vase, sculptures and interesting traditional utensils like spherical bottles with narrow mouth, Lotas with long spouts, and other spherical utensils used for cooking as well as decorative pieces.

The potters brilliantly depicted the “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan” and “International Yoga Day” – through their pottery art. Incidentally, it also coincided with the International Yoga Day being celebrated on Sunday.

After distributing the electric chaak and other equipment through video conference, KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said the exercise is aligned with the Prime Minister’s call for “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” and strengthening of potters aimed at creating self-employment while also reviving the dying art of pottery.

“Pokhran was till now only known as the site of nuclear tests but very soon the exquisite pottery will be the new identity of this place. The main objective of Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana is to bring back the potters’ community to the mainstream. By providing potters with modern equipment and training, we are trying to reconnect them with the society and revive their art,” Saxena said.

The KVIC Chairman has also instructed the State Director of KVIC in Rajasthan to facilitate marketing and sale of the pottery products at Barmer and Jaisalmer railway stations to provide marketing support to potters. “Pokhran is one of the aspirational districts identified by the NITI Aayog. 400 railway stations selling eatables only in earthen/terracotta pots include Jaisalmer and Barmer, the two major railheads in Rajasthan that are closest to Pokhran. The state KVIC unit will facilitate the sale of their pottery at these railway stations given the high tourist footfall in these cities,” Saxena said.

Notably, the KVIC has launched Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana in several remote areas in states like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, J&K, Haryana, West Bengal, Assam, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Telangana and Bihar. In Rajasthan, more than a dozen districts including Jaipur, Kota, Jhalawar and Sri Ganganagar have been benefited by the program.

Under the scheme, the KVIC also provides equipment like blunger and pug mills for mixing clay for making pottery products. The machines have eliminated drudgery from the process of pottery making and resulted in higher income of potters by 7 to 8 times.

19-Mar-2020: Revival of Khadi and Village Industries

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), has been implementing Khadi Reform and Development Programme (KRDP) scheme for revival and increase the production of Khadi, not only in Bihar, but throughout the country.

In order to revitalize and reform the activities of Khadi and Village Industries (KVI) Sector, in terms of employment generation, enhancement in earning of artisans and ensure positioning of Khadi in consonance with the current market trend, a comprehensive reform programme namely Khadi Reform and Development Programme (KRDP), approved by Government of India is being implemented with the assistance from Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Objectives: KRDP aims to revitalize the Khadi and Village Industries through Policy and Institutional Reforms. Specific objectives are:

1. Repositioning Khadi and aligning it to market demand and trends.
2. Enhancing artisan welfare and empowerment.
3. Undertaking extensive capacity building of Khadi Institutions (KIs).
4. Strengthening institutional mechanisms.
5. Implementation of MIS at Khadi Institution level and e-Governance at KVIC.
6. Strategic development of traditional village industries.

A total of 22 Khadi Institutions were given assistance under KRDP with a financial outlay of Rs.1484.93 lakhs for refurbishment of Khadi programme in the State of Bihar.

Ministry of MSME provides financial assistance in the form of grant and subsidy to KVIC for promotion and development of Khadi Programme. Ministry has approved Khadi Vikas Yojana for the development of Khadi programme during the year 2019-20, under which assistance is provided under following components:

1. Modified Market Development Assistance (MMDA): KVIC provides Market Development Assistance to the registered Khadi Institutions and 40% of total MMDA to the Khadi artisans engaged in production activity.
2. Interest Subsidy Eligibility Certificate (ISEC) Scheme: KVIC provides interest subsidy on the working capital loan availed by Khadi Institutions for undertaking production and sales activities under Khadi programme. Under the scheme interest @ 4% per annum is to be paid by the Khadi Institution and balance i.e. actual lending rate minus 4% is to be paid by the Government as interest subsidy.
3. Work shed Scheme for Khadi Artisans: Khadi artisans are provided work sheds for better work atmosphere and storing the materials, under which financial assistance up to Rs. 60000/- is provided per work shed.
4. For revival of sick Khadi Institutions, assistance upto Rs. 9.90 lakh is provided to weak and problematic Khadi Institutions to bring them back to normalcy. For the renovation and modernization of sales outlets run by KVIC, Khadi Institutions and KVIBs financial assistance are being provided under ‘Assistance for Marketing Infrastructure’ scheme.
5. Rozgar Yukt Gaon (RYG): a new component under Khadi Vikas Yojana has been introduced with objective of introducing enterprise led model replacing subsidy-led model and create an additional 12,500 direct employment opportunities in 50 villages, which are deprived of opportunities and sustainable livelihood support systems, in addition to spinning out secondary and ancillary opportunities of employment in a wider sense. This will generate nearly 18,265 employment opportunities in which 12,500 will be direct and 5,765 will be indirect and building a potential capacity of annual production turnover of value added products to a tune of Rs.261.00 crores. In Bihar State, the target of 2 villages have been allotted under RYG scheme for overall holistic development under khadi programme.

It has been decided to set up Centre of Excellence for Khadi (CoEK) in association with National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi, with Hub at New Delhi and Spokes at Shillong, Bengaluru, Kolkata & Gandhinagar.  The main objective of CoEK will be to provide design input to Khadi sector to attract niche market in domestic and international.

To ensure genuineness of Khadi, “Khadi Mark” regulation has been notified by Government of India.

As of now, 2326 number of Khadi Institutions are working under Khadi Programme, out of which 85 KIs are working in Bihar State.

22-Jan-2020: Khadi fights back to prevent misuse of its Trademarks Internationally

In the recent days, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has taken various initiatives for protection and promotion of Khadi as a brand in India and internationally and are the registered proprietors of over a hundred trademarks registrations including the symbol of ‘Charkha’ in India and other countries like Russia, China, Germany, Australia, UK and Bhutan. These trademark and symbols, however have been misused time and again by private players for material benefits. In an initiative to prevent such misuse any further, for the first time KVIC has taken up the matter with the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Commerce and Permanent Mission of India at UN, Geneva seeking International Trademark protection of symbol of ‘Charkha’ under the article 6ter of the Paris Convention.

Article 6ter of the Paris Convention for the protection of Industrial property of 1883 (1967 Stockholm Act) protects armorial bearings, flags and other State emblems as well as official signs and hallmarks of the States party to the Paris Convention. The signs published with World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) under this act are prevented from being registered or used as trademarks, across the world, without authorization. Quite noticeably, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been endorsing Khadi and due to his appeals the sale of Khadi has gone up manifolds.

Speaking about the initiative, Chairman KVIC Shri VK Saxena said, “KVIC is one of those unique institutions in India that links the nation’s past, present and future on its functional plane, through – self-reliance and sustainability. Ever since the pre-independent era, Khadi has been considered as the national symbol for Swadeshi. The word marks "KHADI", "KUTIR", "SARVODAYA" and the logo of Khadi India and Charkha are the harbinger of this spirit of Swadeshi, hence, must be protected at all cost”.

Considering historical and national importance of the trademarks, Shri Saxena has written to Commerce Minister Shri Piyush Goyal seeking his intervention so as to expedite the matter pending with the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) which comes under the Ministry of Commerce.

KVIC is fighting cases in several countries for violation of the Khadi Mark Regulations. The regulations issued in 2013 by the Ministry of MSME, empowered KVIC to grant ‘Khadi Mark’ registration and take royalties from any producer using the Khadi Mark. In continuation, KVIC has issued notices against 600 entities in India, including a renowned garment chain and 3 entities in the International market for misusing these symbols and indulging in unfair trade practices in the recent past.

3-Jan-2020: KVIC opened first silk processing plant in Gujarat to boost production of signature Patola Saree

In a historic initiative taken by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), a first Silk Processing Plant was inaugurated today at Surendranagar in Gujarat which would help cut down the cost of production of silk yarn drastically and increase the sale and availability of raw material for Gujarati Patola Sarees locally. The plant has been set up by a khadi institution at a cost of Rs 75 lack in which KVIC has contributed Rs 60 lakh. The unit has employed 90 local women, 70 of which belong to the Muslim community.

Patola, the trademark Saree of Gujarat, is considered to be very costly and worn only by the Royals or the Aristocrat. Reason being the raw material silk yarn is purchased from Karnataka or West Bengal, where silk processing units are situated, thus increasing the cost of the fabric manifolds.

Chairman, KVIC Shri V. K. Saxena said that cocoons will be brought from Karnataka and West Bengal and Silk yarn will be processed in house, thus reducing the cost of production and giving a major boost to the sale of famous Gujarati Patola Sarees. Surendranagar district is a backward district in Gujarat where KVIC has invested Rs. 60 Lakhs to build the Silk Processing Plant, in order to generate livelihood and boost sales of Patola Sarees by making silk more ready available at a low cost, for the Patola Saree manufacturers in the nearby area.

Traditionally, every region in India has had its own unique weave for the Silk Saree. It is quite notable that Patola Silk Saree is amongst the top five silk weaves which are desired in every Indian Saree Lover's wardrobe.

6-Nov-2019: Khadi gets separate unique HS code, export to get a boost

Khadi has once again come out of its customary veil, marking its presence in the exclusive HS code bracket, issued by the central government on 4th Nov’19 to categorize its products in export. In a long awaited move to make export of Khadi, exclusively categorized from the general league of textile products, the ministry of commerce and industries has allocated separate HS code for this signature fabric of India this week.

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said that this decision of government will open a new chapter in the field of Khadi export. Earlier, Khadi did not have its exclusive HS code. As a result, all the data regarding export of this signature fabric used to come as a normal fabric under the textile head. Now, we will be able to keep a constant eye not only on our export figures, but it will also help us in planning our export strategies.

HS Stands for Harmonized System and it is a six digit identification code. It was developed by the WCO (World Customs Organization) and custom officers use HS Code to clear every commodity that enters or crosses any international border.

Khadi and Village Industries products are eco-friendly and natural, and are in great demand in the International Markets. Recognizing its potential to generate exports and its eco-friendly importance, the Ministry of Commerce had accorded deemed Export Promotional Council Status (EPCS) to KVIC in 2006, to boost the export of Khadi products. However in the absence of separate HS code, the export of Khadi products was difficult to categorize and calculate.

2-Sep-2019: KVIC Launches ‘Terracotta Grinder’ at Varanasi to Re-use wasted pottery

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) launched a first ever ‘Terracotta Grinder’ at Sewapuri in Varanasi. This machine will grind the wasted and broken pottery items for re-using in pottery-making.

Earlier the wasted pottery items were grinded in normal khal-musal (mortar and pestle) and its fine powder was mixed with the normal clay. Mixing this powder in stipulated ratio to normal clay makes the resulting pottery items stronger.  This Terracotta grinder will make grinding of wasted pottery items faster than the traditional mortar and pestle. It will lessen the cost of production, and will also help in solving the problem of shortage of clays. The cost of one tractor trolley of clay is Rs 2,600 in the Varanasi area. By mixing 20 percent of this wasted terracotta powder, the potter will make a saving of at least Rs 520. This will also create more job opportunities in the villages. The grinder was designed by KVIC Chairman, and fabricated by a Rajkot-based engineering unit 

On this occasion, the KVIC Chairman also distributed 200 Electric Potter Wheels and other pottery machines among the villagers. This will not only create 900 new jobs, but will also meet the growing demand for terracotta products at Varanasi railway station following a direction by the Ministry of Railways to Zonal Railways and IRCTC to take urgent necessary action to ensure use of locally produced, environment friendly terracotta products like Kulhad, glasses and plates for serving passengers through all static catering units at Varanasi and Raebareli railway stations.

This machine will be a boon for potters as Union Minister of MSME Shri Nitin Gadkari has proposed to introduce kulhads and other terracotta products at 400 prominent railway stations. The proposal is under active consideration of the Railways.

KVIC, as part of its commitment to Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, had also started manufacturing of plastic-mixed handmade paper at Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute (KNHPI), a KVIC unit in Jaipur under its project REPLAN (REducing PLAstic in Nature). In this project, the waste plastic is collected, cleaned, chopped, beaten and treated for softness. After that, it is mixed with the paper raw material i.e. cotton rags pulp in a ratio of 80 % (pulp) and 20% (plastic waste). The institute has sold over six lakh handmade plastic mixed carry bags since September 2018.

9-Aug-2019: KVIC distributes 50 leather kits, 350 bee-boxes on world Tribal day in Rajasthan

Khadi and Village Industry Commission (KVIC) distributed as many as 50 leather kits and 350 Bee-Boxes with live bee colonies in tribal-dominated village in Sirohi district of Rajasthan, one of the aspirational districts in India identified by the NITI Aayog, on World Tribal Day.

Programmes like Leather Mission, Kumhar Sashaktikaran Mission and Honey Mission are the reflection of KVIC`s commitment to uplift the lives of marginalised communities in the society.

KVIC is launching a new programme ‘Leather Mission’ on World Tribal Day from the tribal-dominated village of Chandala. Under this new programme, KVIC will give Leather Kits to the leather artisans across the nation. It will not only increase their incomes manifold but will also inspire the traditional leather artisans who had migrated to other jobs from their traditional skill to adopt this vocation again.

350 Bee-Boxes were distributed at the function. Honey Mission has proved as a game-changer in the lives of tribals, farmers, SC/STs and unemployed youths. So far, KVIC has distributed over 1.15 lakh Bee-Boxes across the nation among the marginalised community, which has provided jobs to over 11,500 people. It has not only increased the income of the bee-keeping farmers, but has also increased the yield of the crops by up to 30 percent due to cross-pollination of the honey-bees.

15-Jul-2019: KVIC Installs Bee-Boxes at SPG campus in Dwarka

The Special Protection Group (SPG) has installed bee-boxes with live bee-colonies provided by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) in its headquarter premises at Dwarka. The advice for this was given by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during his recent visit to the SPG Headquarters. Besides production of honey, this will also promote growth of flora in and around the campus since bees bring about cross-pollination.

The SPG officials had recently contacted the KVIC officials for guidance and training to set up an apiary in their campus. According to KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena, three SPG gardeners were provided practical training for examination of honeybee colonies, acquaintance with apicultural equipment, identification and management of bee enemies and diseases, honey extraction and wax purification and management of bee colonies in spring, summer, monsoon, autumn and winter seasons in KVIC's training centre. The bee-boxes were then installed in presence of the SPG officials.

KVIC has distributed over 1.10 lakh bee-boxes across India in last one and half years. This has created over 11,000 new jobs for the farmers, unemployed youths and tribal people; 430 metric tonnes of honey worth Rs 4 crore has been extracted through these bee-boxes only.

3-Jul-2018: KVIC launches e-marketing system

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) launched its, in-house developed, single-umbrella e-marketing system named Khadi Institution Management and Information System (KIMIS) in New Delhi. The system can be accessed from anywhere in the country for the sale and purchase of Khadi and Village Industries products.

KVIC Chairman, Vinai Kumar Saxena, while inaugurating the KIMIS, said that it was the need of the hour to develop an in-house single umbrella billing software for sale and purchase that could be monitored, round-the-clock, from any part of India.

He said that KVIC IT team has developed a foolproof software, which may have cost millions of rupees if purchased from a third party. This software will give real-time data of sales and will also give the updated status of stocks of khadi bhawans and godowns, allowing better planning and control of inventory of the KVIC. He added that 480 Khadi institutions and showrooms are linked with this billing software and it will be useful in raising demand and supply of goods in high demand.

21-May-2018: KVIC sets world record on World Honey-Bee Day

Khadi and Village Industries Commission ( KVIC ) has created a new world record of distributing maximum number of bee-boxes in a single day – beating previous best of 841 in Israel around two years ago. May 21 is celebrated as World Honey Bee Day.

KVIC distributed 1,000 bee-boxes among 100 people belonging to the Mishing Assamese tribe in the Kaziranga forest, thereby setting a new world record.

Responding to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s call for ‘Sweet Revolution’, the KVIC came in an action mode with its enthusiastic ‘Honey Mission’ with a target of distributing 1.3 lakh bee-boxes across the nation before November 2018 – right from Narmada valley of Gujarat to Kaziranga Forest in Assam, and from hilly areas of Jammu and Kashmir to dense forests of Mysuru.

The KVIC had aimed to create jobs for youths giving them an adroit pair of hands. At Kaziranga, practical training was imparted to 100 beneficiaries in examination of honeybee colonies, acquaintance with apicultural equipment, identification and management of bee enemies and diseases, honey extraction and wax purification, and management of bee colonies in spring, summer, monsoon, autumn and winter seasons. Besides giving them certificates of trained bee-keepers, the KVIC experts also delved upon honey bee species, colony organization, division of labor and life cycle of honey bees; management of honey bee colonies during different seasons. The KVIC also distributed 200 gm. Honey bottles to 500 school kids of Sankar Dev Sishu Niketan, at Kohera village in Kaziranga. Altogether 25,000 honey bottles were distributed across the country by KVIC on May 21 to celebrate the World Honey Bee Day.

KVIC Chairman Shri V K Saxena, said that besides production of 30,000 kilograms of high-quality honey from these bee-boxes in the zero-pollution Kaziranga area, bee-keeping would open many job avenues for the unemployed youths and aspiring young entrepreneurs. “Being the nodal agency of Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), the KVIC would provide loans for setting up units of processing, packaging and labelling units for honey,” he said, adding, “The development initiatives taken by KVIC in Assam have given a ray of hope for tribal people here and they are willing to be the part of development. The bee-keeping will also enhance the rich flora and fauna of the Kaziranga forest area through cross-pollination.”

The KVIC had last year established Khadi training-cum-production centre in association with Assam forest department, providing 25 charkhas, five looms and other accessories to the village artisans at Silimkhowa village. It was for the first time in Assam, when Cotton Khadi work was started with 10-spindle charkhas, providing job opportunities to nearly 50 rural families of this area.