As the election season is in full swing in India, the sale of khadi apparels has registered a record high of Rs.3,215 crore, up 20% in the financial year ended March 2019 as compared to the previous fiscal.
The chairman of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Vinay Kumar Saxena, said that after 2013-14, the khadi business registered a four times growth in the last five years. He informed that the sale grew to Rs.3,215 crore in the fiscal ended March 31, 2019, from Rs.811 crore in the financial year 2013-14.
“During the summers, politicians and their supporters have to spend a lot of time under the sun due to which they prefer to wear khaki which is suitable for hot weather. The demand for khadi is growing across the country, especially in Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.” – Vinay Kumar Saxena, Chairman, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)
Out of the total sale in the previous financial year, 40 percent was of raw cloth, while the rest 60 percent was of ready-made apparels. Also, there is a sustained demand for the khadi dresses made by village workers, Saxena said.
There are more than 1,000 stores of KVIC in Uttar Pradesh, while Bihar has 8,060 of these shops.
The chairman said the sales of khadi apparel grew by around 7 per cent from 2004 to 2014 while in the past five years the sales increased by more than 10 per cent.