Khadi Village Industries Commission (KVIC), a subsidiary of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Ministry of India, has invested Rs. 5.5 crores on new looms and charkhas to increase khadi production.
Currently, the annual khadi production stands at 125.22 million metres. The Commission expects the purchase of new looms and charkhas to boost the khadi production by 9 per cent.
The surge in production will consequently support KVIC’s sales target of Rs. 5,000 crores for fiscal 2017-18.
Jitendra Gupta, Director, Directorate, KVIC further informed Apparel Resources, “We are also working on a project in Sewapuri of Varanasi where we have installed 516 solar charkhas and 25 looms. This is the only project which we have executed through the CSR funds of Rural Electrification Corporation (REC).”
Mr Gupta also shared that the Commission is planning to install dyeing and sewing machines at the Sewapuri unit.
The body is focusing on the backward states of the country like Silimkhowa in Assam, Banswara in Rajasthan, Vanaj in Gujarat, Haldwani in Uttarakhand, and many others to distribute charkhas and looms under the Sahyog Program. Around 500 solar charkhas and 100 looms have already been distributed to the various artisans.
Additionally, Mr Gupta told us the Commission has trained around 500 women in Jayapur and Kakrahiya (Varanasi). A loan of Rs. 80,000 has also been sanctioned to these women under Prime Minister Employment Generation Program (PMEGP).
Subsidy (35% for women and 25% for men) to artisans in rural areas is also provided to help them start their own spinning businesses.
