Shri Manoj Kumar, Chairman, Khadi and Village Industries Commission, inaugurated the Khadi Fest- 23 which will run from January 27 to February 24, 2023 at the KVIC Headquarters in Mumbai in the presence of Shri Vinit Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, KVIC and other senior officials.

In his inaugural address Shri Kumar said that KVIC is entrusted with the responsibility of providing livelihood to the most backward and poor people of this country. He said that events and exhibitions like Khadi Fest provide a platform to the Khadi Institutions, PMEGP and SFURTI units to market the products of thousands of artisans directly to the hands of customers. He emphasized on organizing such events in larger numbers in the other parts of the country as well as abroad.

KVIC Chairman said that after the clarion call of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to the people of the country to buy Khadi and Village Industries products, their sales have increased unexpectedly. He appealed to the nation to fulfill the vision of our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's dream "Vocal for Local and Local to Global" in to reality. Chairman also motivated the officers and employees of KVIC to fulfill the responsibility of the upliftment of the poor people living in the rural. The highest ever sale of Rs more than 12 crore in the IITF-2022 held in Delhi in the month of November is the live example. This year on 2nd October, Delhi Outlet of Khadi India has once again set an all-time new record of Khadi sales in a single day worth Rs 1.34 crore. It is worth mentioning that last year Khadi and village industry items had record sale of one lakh fifteen thousand crores. Further, a sale of Rs. 3.03 crores was recorded in the Khadi Fest-2022 organized in the month of October 3rd, he added.

Chairman, KVIC appealed to all to give wide publicity to Khadi Fest and purchase Khadi and village industry items for respectable earnings of the poor spinners, weavers, women and artisans of the country. He congratulated Ms. Neihunuo Sorhie the Khadi Weaver from Nagaland for her Padma Shri Award & Sant Kabir Award and Khadi veteran Shri V P Appukuttan Poduval from Kerala who has also been conferred with Padma Shri.

In this Khadi Fest, Khadi and Village Industries Institutions, PMEGP units from various parts of the country affiliated to Khadi and Village Industries Commission are showcasing their products for exhibit and sales. In addition to cotton khadi, khadi silk, pashmina, poly vastra, patola Silk, kalamkari sarees, kanjivaram silk, light weight soft silk sarees, tussar silk, fulkari dress materials and other attractive apparels made of khadi fabrics, madhubani prints, dry fruits, tea, kahwa, beauty herbal and ayurvedic products, honey products, hand paper products, home decor products , Bamboo Products, Carpets, Aloe Vera Products, Leather Products and many other Khadi and Village Industries products are available .

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MJPS