KVIC bags Rs 5.8-crore order for gift coupons for GAIL employees

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) on Monday said it has bagged an order worth Rs 5.88 crore from state-run Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) for khadi gift coupons for its 23,504 employees.

"GAIL agreed to gift khadi coupons of Rs 2,500 to each of its 23,504 employees in all its units across the nation. The employees, however, would be able to purchase khadi and products of Village Industries worth Rs 3,250 from the coupon of Rs 2,500," the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises said in a statement.

The coupons can be redeemed throughout the year at all departmental sales outlets of KVIC.

Such huge orders from government and PSUs not only increase the income of the artisans but also inspire new entrepreneurs to associate with khadi with better job avenues, KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said.

He said that orders in the recent past from GAIL, ONGC, REC, IOC, MRPL, OIL, JK Cement and BEE have been instrumental in making a compounding effect on the livelihood of khadi artisans and have been creating more jobs by adding thousands of new artisans in KVIC's kitty.

KVIC launched gift coupon scheme in 2017 and till date gift coupons of face value worth Rs 89.29 crore have been sold.

Earlier this year, KVIC had bagged order worth over Rs 7.03 crore from Oil India Limited (OIL) for khadi gift coupons for its 14,064 employees and from Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) worth Rs 80 lakhs for coupons for its 800 employees.