The Khadi and Village Industries Board expects to raise its sales turnover to ₹150 crore during the current financial year through a slew of measures, including introduction of new designs and clothing materials. The board’s turnover had been less than ₹50 crore in the last financial year.
Board vice chairman P. Jayarajan said one of the factors that boosted the sale of Khadi products was the circular issued by the Industries department in January encouraging government employees to use Khadi products once in a week. Improving sales is part of efforts to give a new lease of life to the Khadi industry, which will also help Khadi product makers in units other than those run by the board.
Mr. Jayarajan claimed that a situation was being created in which there could be an “artificial scarcity” of cotton in the country, which could hit the Khadi industry hard. The import duty on cotton was lifted between April and September this year, and export too has been allowed. He said the government should procure cotton being produced in the country and supplied to the Khadi industry considering its importance in employment generation and the indigenous tradition that it upholds.
