This International Yoga Day brought special happiness to lakhs of Khadi artisans in rural areas of India. On International Yoga Day celebrated on 21st June, Khadi and Village Industries Commission, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (KVIC) sold 1,09,022 yoga mats and 63,700 yoga dress worth Rs 8,67,87,380 to various government departments through 55 Khadi institutions across the country. Releasing the figures, KVIC Chairman Shri Manoj Kumar said that the 'brand power' of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has made the Indian heritage of yoga as well as Khadi popular. It is a matter of joy for the Khadi family that this time there has been a record-breaking sale of special yoga clothes and mats made by our Khadi artisans. He further said that this time on Yoga Day, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi performed yoga in Srinagar and Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah practiced yoga in Ahmedabad wearing Khadi yoga clothes. This is a matter of pride for Khadi artisans.

KVIC Chairman Shri Manoj Kumar further said that yoga dress and mats made of Khadi are very advantageous for health as well as environment protection, as they are made without chemicals and with the use of minimum water. He further said that the sale of Khadi yoga clothes and mats on the special occasion of International Yoga Day is a symbol of the fact that the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is determined to conserve its heritage Khadi as well as determined to protect environmental. This also gives new strength to the Vocal for Local and Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.   

According to the released data, this time KVIC prepared special Khadi yoga kurtas (in T-shirt style) on demand of the Ministry of AYUSH. These were specially designed keeping the youth in mind. On the occasion of Yoga Day, KVIC's Khadi Bhawan located at Connaught Place, Delhi supplied 50,000 yoga mats and 50,000 yoga dress to the Ministry of AYUSH alone. This also included 300 premium quality yoga mats. Along with this, as per the demand of the Ministry, 25,000 Khadi yoga mats and clothes were supplied in Srinagar and 10,000 mats and yoga clothes were supplied in Srinagar. In Srinagar, thousands of people participated in yoga practice wearing Khadi clothes under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

In addition to Ministry of AYUSH, KVIC also supplied yoga clothes and yoga mats made of Khadi for yoga practice mainly to Morarji Desai National Yoga Institute, National Ayurveda Institute Jaipur and Panchkula, Defence Research and Development Organization, ONGC and NALCO. In the total supply of Rs 8,67,87,380, the sale of Khadi yoga clothes was Rs 3,86,65,900 and the sale of mats was Rs 4,81,21,480. As per the demand, KVIC had already informed Khadi institutions across the country, which included 55 institutions in Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Delhi, for supply. Through this, spinners, weavers and Khadi workers working in Khadi institutions got additional wages as well as additional employment opportunities.

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MJPS/NSK