Key Highlights:

●        Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting, and Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. L. Murugan, along with KVIC Chairman Shri Manoj Kumar, inaugurated the renovated 'Khadi Bhavan' at Gandhi Ashram, Tiruchengodu.

●        Under the Village Industries Development Scheme, machines and toolkits were distributed to 60 artisans.

●        Gandhi Ashram in Tiruchengodu, Tamil Nadu, is one of the oldest Gandhi Ashrams in the country.

●        The Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, visited this ashram in 1925 and 1936.

●        Union Minister Dr. L. Murugan emphasized KVIC’s role in empowering rural India’s economy.

●        Shri Manoj Kumar stated that, for the first time, the turnover of Khadi and Village Industries has surpassed ₹1.5 lakh crore, driven by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s brand power.

On Sunday, September 01, 2024, the renovated Khadi Bhavan, situated in the newly constructed Centenary Building at the historic Gandhi Ashram in Tiruchengodu, Tamil Nadu, was inaugurated by the Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting, and Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. L. Murugan, alongside Shri Manoj Kumar, Chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), under the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME). As part of the event, 20 artisans were provided with automatic agarbatti machines for manufacturing incense stick (agarbatti), and toolkits were distributed to 20 plumbers and 20 electrician artisans under the Village Industries Development Scheme.

In his address, Dr. L. Murugan appealed to the nation to support the 'Vocal for Local' campaign by purchasing indigenous Khadi products. He highlighted KVIC’s continuous efforts under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership to uplift rural India, bringing significant change to the lives of artisans and strengthening the rural economy.

KVIC Chairman Shri Manoj Kumar, in his speech, emphasized that in the 'Amrit Kaal' of Independence, Khadi, the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, has reached new

heights under Prime Minister Modi’s brand power. He noted that, for the first time in the history of Independent India, the sales of Khadi and Village Industries products surpassed ₹1.55 lakh crore in the fiscal year 2023-24, with over 10.17 Lakhs new jobs created. He further added that the 'Vocal for Local' and 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' initiatives by Prime Minister Modi have given Khadi global recognition. Over the past decade, the new Khadi of a new India has become a guarantee of a developed India.

Addressing the artisans, Shri Manoj Kumar informed that under the Village Industries Development Scheme, KVIC has distributed over 30,000 electric potter wheels to potter families in the last 10 years, transforming the lives of over 120,000 potters. Additionally, more than 15,000 toolkits and machinery have been distributed, and over 200,000 bee boxes and bee colonies have been provided to 20,000 beneficiaries under the Honey Mission scheme.

The Chairman also mentioned that currently, around 3,000 Khadi institutions are operational across the country, providing employment to over 500,000 Khadi artisans and workers, of which 80% are women. In Tamil Nadu, through 74 Khadi institutions, more than 11,000 artisans are employed. He also noted that in the last fiscal year, KVIC provided a margin money subsidy of approximately ₹191 Crore under the PMEGP scheme through the Chennai state office, establishing 6,508 units and creating employment for over 52,000 people.

The officials associated with the Gandhi Ashram highlighted that the historic Gandhi Ashram in Tiruchengodu, Tamil Nadu, is a priceless heritage of Mahatma Gandhi and is one of the oldest Gandhi Ashrams in India. Established by the great freedom fighter C. Rajagopalachari, the last Governor-General of India, the ashram was visited by Mahatma Gandhi twice in 1925 and 1936. To commemorate the

ashram’s centenary, a Centenary Building and a Khadi Bhavan have been renovated.

At the conclusion of the event, the Chairman and other dignitaries visited the Gandhi Memorial Exhibition Center within the ashram complex. The event was attended by MPs, MLAs, former MPs and MLAs, office bearers of the Gandhi Ashram, local government representatives, and officers and staff of the state government and KVIC.

During his Tamil Nadu visit, on Saturday, KVIC Chairman Shri Manoj Kumar presided over a Khadi Gaurav Samman ceremony organized by the state office Chennai at Nalappa Mahal, Pollachi, in Coimbatore district, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to elevate the new Khadi of a new India to greater heights. The Chairman honored Tamil Nadu’s Khadi artisans and institutional representatives on stage, presenting them with certificates, shields, and shawls. He also asked for any grievances of Khadi artisans and assured them of swift resolutions.

  

 

 

  

 

   

 

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