Air India takes to Khadi, places orders worth Rs 12 crores to KVIC

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) KVIC is on a business expansion spree. The latest order the organization has won is worth nearly Rs 12 crores from Air India and Raymond. As KVIC chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena points out to promote the use of indigenous fabric and increase sourcing from KVIC, Air India has decided to use natural and eco-friendly khadi products on its flights. It has placed an order worth nearly Rs 7.98 crore with KVIC for 65,500 units of amenity kits for its first and business class passengers. In addition, textile giant Raymond has also ordered 1, 33, 318 meters of khadi fabric from the KVIC worth Rs 4 crores.

As per Saxena in September 2016, Air India had placed a big order for supplying 5.75 lakh khadi soap cakes. And before that in June 2016, it had placed an order worth Rs 8 crore to source 1.85 lakh units of amenity kits. Similarly, in December 2015, the Air India placed a trial order worth Rs 1.21 crore to the KVIC for the supply of 25,000 units of amenity kits. Bulk order benefits artisans from 30 khadi institutions, located in Gujarat, West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi, Chhatisgarh, Haryana and Assam.

The products will be supplied by Khadi Gramodyog Bhawan, a flagship retail unit of the KVIC. The KVIC had been asked to supply 65,500 kits in one month time to Air India.