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Khadi panel mulls tie-ups with fashion institutes to tap top-end garments market

This year's Independence Day celebrations have special significance for the Khadi and Village Industries Commission.

A common thread holds Independence, the freedon struggle which preceded it, Mahatma Gandhi and Khadi -- the cotton cloth spun out of the hand-operated spinning wheel -- together in a certain perspective. It was Gandhi who sought to popularise Khadi as a national alternative to British-produced cloth that harmed the business interests of Indian mills. So much so that the spinning wheel, the charka, became a symbol of the Mahatma-led struggle for freedom.

Fifty-two years after the nation became independent, Khadi continues to retain its special aura, even as ultra-modern, mega-size textile mills produce a bevy of beauties. Khadi remains the first preference of politicians, big, small or medium, wishing to cast themselves in the nationalistic Gandhian mould. But the demand for Khadi is not adequate enough to sustain the still surviving old-time mills.

So, this year, the KVIC is planning to forge tie-ups with fashion institutes for undertaking fabrication and sale of high fashion ladies garments like shalwar kameez, kurta and churidars. This is intended to introduce the Khadi silk and superfine cotton products in the premium segment of designer garments market.

This follows the experiment by the KVIC on trial basis of the fabrication and processing of high fashion ladies garments which proved to be a remarkable success in the market.

The KVIC has also decided to launch a joint venture for opening two sales counters in collaboration with the Small Industries Development Bank of India. Preliminary discussions have already been completed between SIDBI and the KVIC.

The high fashion khadi garments will be available at Khadi sales counters in metros and other important cities.

Compiled from reports in Indian media

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