Reviving Khadi in India

TABLE II
SHARE OF KHADI IN THE TOTAL PRODUCTION AT KVIC
(IN RS BILLION)

Year	Total production at KVIC*	Share of Khadi
1997 – 1998	45.19	6.24
1998 – 1999	51.12	6.35
1999 – 2000	61.65	5.51
2000 – 2001	69.23	4.31

Source: www.kvic.org.in
* The total production and sales at KVIC includes all the products mentioned in Exhibit I.

TABLE III
SHARE OF KHADI TO THE TOTAL SALES AT KVIC (IN RS BILLION)

Year	Total sales at KVIC*	Share of Khadi
1997 – 1998	50.65	7.45
1998 – 1999	56.01	6.47
1999 – 2000	67.69	6.31
2000 - 2001	79.55	5.7

Source: www.kvic.org.in

In order to compete with other varieties of textile and make it more acceptable in the market, improvisation was needed and new products and designs had to be developed. Keeping this objective in mind, in October 2001, KVIC signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ahmedabad-based National Institute of Design (NID) to provide it design support in order to improve the diminishing market-share of Khadi.

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

KHADI GOES FOR A FACELIFT

Over the years, the Khadi Boards of different states have been experimenting on blending of Khadi with other materials and improving its quality. In July 2002, a collection of ensembles in ‘Tencel Khadi'(a blend of Tencel and Khadi in the ratio 30:70) was created by Bangalore-based designer, Deepika Govind, in association with the Karnataka Khadi Board. Tencel is a lyocell fiber natural in origin and hence, environment friendly.

It offers the comfort and luxury of a natural fiber as well as the performance and practicality of a man-made fabric. Tencel Khadi showed lesser shrinkage (4-5%) as compared to the high shrinkage seen in Khadi garments (about 7 %). Due to Tencel's softness, it would become easier to work with Khadi and lend better drape quality to finished garments. Tencel Khadi would provide excellent scope for exports.

In 2002, the Austria-based company, Lenzing AG, proposed to make Khadi more eco-friendly by blending the bio-degradable ‘modal fibre' with Khadi. This blend would absorb 50 per cent more humidity than cotton. The blend, besides strengthening the Khadi yarn, would make it easy to wash and maintain.

FUTURE OF KHADI

EXHIBIT I - PRODUCT RANGE OF KVIC

ADDITIONAL READINGS & REFERENCES