Arvind, Raymond, Aditya Birla Retail to promote khadi

Leading apparel companies viz. Arvind, Raymond and Aditya Birla Fashion Retail have now taken the initiative to promote khadi. They have tied up with Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) to source khadi fabric and and launch designer apparels with the khadi mark. KVIC feels involvement of corporates in the khadi industry will help boost artisans income while growing khadi’s market, this will help khadi institutions fetch more orders.

Meanwhile, KVIC is looking at Rs 3,000 crores turnover in fiscal year 2017-18 up from Rs 2005 crores it made in 2016-17. KVIC is targeting Rs 5,000 crores turnover by the end of 2020.

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail is looking to introduce khadi clothes under its brand Peter England by the end of this year. KVIC is taking initiatives to increase sales of khadi, which today stands under one per cent among total textile sales in the country. Raymond too is planning to launch khadi products in October this year, initially in India, and from next year Raymond khadi garments will be launched overseas. Raymond hopes to do business worth Rs 70 crores from khadi this year. The company would be sourcing around 4,00,000 meters of khadi from khadi institutions, which is expected to create three million man hours of employment for khadi weavers.