Design support to boost khadi sales

By Our Special Correspondent

AHMEDABAD, OCT.7. The Central sector Khadi and Village Industry Commission (KVIC) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ahmedabad-based National Institute of Design (NID), the only institute of its kind in the country, to provide it design support in a bid to boost the diminishing market-share of khadi and other rural products.

Talking to mediapersons here on the occasion of the signing of the MOU, the KVIC chief executive officer, Mr. Chinnmay Basu, admitted that khadi had almost reached a stage of stagnation during the last few years and required some fresh impetus to compete with other varieties of textile and make it acceptable in the market.

The livelihood of more than eight lakhs people in the country who survived on khadi and another 70 lakhs who depended on various village industries was in danger because of the stagnation. ``This is only the figure of the people connected with various institutions supported by the KVIC. There are lakhs of other village artisans who will also be served by the newer and efficient tools to be designed by the NID,'' Mr Basu said.

For the last few years, the sale of khadi has remained stagnant around Rs.650 crores per annum while the overall textile market has grown manifold during the period. ``The people are not even aware of the multiple uses of khadi with some value additions,'' he pointed out.

For the first time, the khadi and village industries products would be made available through the normal marketing channel instead of its own outlets. A beginning would be made from October 17 in Mumbai when five village products - soap, incense sticks, honey, pickles and spices - would be supplied to about 10,000 retail shops in the city. Later similar arrangements would be made in Delhi and slowly expanded to other parts of the country so that the khadi and village products were available easily at the doorsteps.

Both Mr. Basu and the NID executive director, Dr. Darlie Koshy, believed that instead of adding to the cost of production the support of the NID could help the rural masses to reduce the production cost and make the products competitive and attractive. ``Our experience is that five per cent investments in designing can at times save 50 to 60 per cent in the cost of production,'' Dr. Koshy claimed.

Under the agreement, a special cell would be set up at the NID to be financed by the KVIC to provide design support services in khadi, village industries, packaging, marketing, communication, publicity, dissemination materials and other design-related activities of the KVIC.

The NID would also help the KVIC in its ``capacity building'' of its officers and staff as well as that of its affiliated institutions, primarily in the form of focused training in areas like design sensitization, project preparation, development of skills in the areas of identifying, tasking, costing and implementing design-related projects. It would undertake in-depth analysis of the product profile and production processes of both cotton and woolen khadi and suggest measures to improve the product and reduce the cost.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Other States
Previous : Chhatisgarh e-governance on A.P. model
Next     : Pat for RAF in tackling communal violence