'Khadi Utsav' earnings crosses Rs 2 cr mark

Fashion show on ‘Brand Khadi’ to be held on 18th March

The recently inaugurated 30-day long Khadi Utsav held in Ahmedabad has already garnered revenues of Rs 2.18 crores on the tenth day of the exhibition itself. The exhibition, that is being held from March 6 to April 4, also organised a first of its kind buyers-sellers meet at the exhibition venue. In the figures provided by the Khadi Gramudhyog Board and Khadi and Village Industries commission (KVIC ) as on 15 March state that Khadi products contributed to Rs 36.63 lakhs and the rest of the revue was generated from village products and handicrafts displayed at the exhibition.

 

The exhibition had 273 stalls out of which 120 sold only Khadi products and around 2 lakh visitors visitors thronged the Utsav which saw a participation of more than 12 states. The exhibition will culminate at the end of 30 days with a fashion show that will exhibit the best of ‘Brand Khadi’ on the 18th of March.

Talking about the challenges of the Khadi industry, AD Choudhary, the director of Khadi and Village Industries commission (KVIC) said, “Going by our estimates of the earnings so far we think that we might cross around Rs 5 crores in terms of total revenues. The highest earnings of the exhibition was garnered on March 12, which came to about Rs 51 lakhs. Khadi has a tough time competing with the other textile industries as this is highly labour driven industry whereby the labour cost is more expensive than the machinery itself. But still the subsidies provided by various state and central agencies have given a lot of impetus to the industry. Under the various schemes launched under MDA (Marketing Development Assistance), Khadi and Village Industries commission (KVIC) and PMEGP (Primes Minister’s employment generation programme), the Khadi industry has received between 15 to 35 per cent subsidy, of which 20 percent rebate on Khadi was announced by the Government.”

Even with close to 200 NGO’s working for the betterment of the Khadi industry, the rate of attrition in this industry which is largely labour driven is still high. According to figures given by the KVIC, Vadibhai Patel, Chairman of Khadi Gramudhyog Board added, “Around Rs 144 crores have been disbursed only through the PMEGP’s (Primes Minister’s employment generation programme) fund in the Khadi industry in the coutry till now. We will be holding subsequent buyer-seller meets so that the high attrition rate of labourers in the Khadi industry can be curbed and that employment levels are sustained. To this end and to market ‘Brand Khadi, one of the highlights of the exhibition was the theme pavilion which explains the origin of the Khadi , Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology woven around khadi and its contribution to the freedom movement. ”

According to the figures given by KVIC, the employment generated through Khadi and village industries activities in Gujarat State in terms of total earnings in 2007-8 were Rs 8151.85 crores, while in 2008-9 it was Rs 8374.07 crores and in 2009-10 it grew to about Rs 8822.61crores.