Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting the rise in
demand and popularity of khadi over the last few years, underscored its
benefits and strength of the Vocal for Local campaign.
PM Modi, while addressing the nation in his 106th
edition of the monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat, noted that the yearly khadi
sales grew from Rs 30,000 crore in the financial year 2013-14 to reaching about
Rs 1.25 lakh crore.
He stressed that the rise in the sale of Khadi benefits myriad sections across cities and villages, including weavers, handicraft artisans, farmers, and cottage industries engaged
in growing Ayurvedic plants.
Hailing the support from all the country people, the PM highlighted growth of khadi is the strength of the Vocal for Local campaign.
He cited the single-day record sales of the Khadi
India store in New Delhi’s popular commercial area Connaught Place on the
occasion of Gandhi Jayanti this year, breaching the Rs 1.5 crore mark from its
previous year’s record.
Significantly, the Khadi and Village Industries
Commission (KVIC), the Khadi development and promotion body of the government,
had reported a 332 per cent growth in sales in the last nine years.
As per an earlier statement by KVIC, the turnover had rose
from Rs 31,354 crores in 2013-14 to Rs 1.34 lakh crore in 2022-23, registering
over a three-fold increase.
The production of khadi products had increased from Rs
26,109 crore in FY14 to Rs 95,957 crore in FY23, a jump of 268 per cent, as per
an earlier statement by KVIC.
The KVIC data stated the growth in demand and supply
of khadi and village industries products led to 9.54 lakh job generation in rural
areas during FY23, as compared to 5.62 lakh new employment opportunities in
FY14, an increase of over 70 per cent.
NE Watch Desk
