Ever since being elected as the prime minister, Narendra Modi has been promoting Khadi and mentioned it in his radio address multiple times. He even talked about the growth of the Khadi industry in this year’s Independence Day address.
Last year, in his 36th monthly radio address – Mann Ki Baat, prime minister Narendra Modi had urged people to come forward and promote Khadi. He had said that poor are getting jobs because the sales of Khadi have increased and the recent data revealed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) backs the claim. KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena told PTI that 18,39,887 jobs were created by KVIC till September 2018.
Ever since being elected as the prime minister, Narendra Modi has been promoting Khadi and mentioned it in his radio address multiple times. He even talked about the growth of the Khadi industry in this year’s Independence Day address.
In September 2017, he had said that Khadi is not just a piece of cloth but an idea. “I am not asking people to only wear Khadi but since there are so many fabrics with people, why not one of Khadi as well? Youth is also getting attracted to Khadi. The sale of Khadi has increased because of which poor are getting jobs,” PM Modi had said.
In its progress report, KVIC has acknowledged the attention it has got from the prime minister.
“KVIC has also benefitted from the personal attention and commitment provided by the prime minister towards the promotion of Khadi and Village Industries Commission and accomplished many firsts and feats,” it said.
The average sales of Khadi sector stood at Rs 914.07 crore between 2004 and 2014. This increased by a whopping 100.02% between 2015 and 2018 to Rs 1828.30 crore. The average export of Khadi and village industries products also increased from Rs 87.77 crore between 2004 and 2014 to Rs 204.75 crore between 2015 and 2018.
Saxena said that the commission plans to create another 13,83,130 jobs from November 2018 to March 2020. According to KVIC’s vision document presented to the MSME ministry, over 11.3 lakh jobs will be created under PMEGP between November 2018 and March 2020. Another 48,222 jobs shall be generated by Khadi and 24,000 jobs by the ‘Solar Vastra’ during the period.
“Thanks to the ministry’s timely approvals, in the last four years, while the total employment created by KVIC till September 2018 is 18,39,887; we have planned to create another 13,83,130 jobs during November 2018 to March 2020,” Saxena said.
Apart from this, KVIC has estimated that 44,029 jobs would be created through other village industries, 20,285 jobs through the Honey Mission and 1,09,200 jobs from the Kumbhar Sashaktikaran Mission by March 2020.

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