The KVIC Chairman stated, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the resolution taken for  realizing ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Viksit Bharat’ is emerging as a powerful medium to demonstrate Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of Swadeshi and Gram Swaraj in a modern environment. KVIC strives to transform every village into a center of production and empower every family to move towards the path of self-reliance.”

Following the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, to strengthen the rural economy and boost self-employment opportunities by connecting artisans and the youth with modern resources, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) organized a special distribution program of advanced equipment and toolkits on Tuesday in Radheja village, Gandhinagar. This initiative marks a significant step towards empowering local production capabilities and developing new sources of income in rural areas.

On this occasion, Shri Manoj Kumar, Chairman, KVIC, distributed 1,450 machines and toolkits to 740 beneficiaries under the jurisdiction of the Ahmedabad State Office, under Gramodyog Vikas Yojana. These included 410 electric pottery wheels, 800 bee-boxes and bee colonies, 20 agarbatti making machines, 80 leather toolkits, and 140 other machines and toolkits. During this program, under the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), a margin money subsidy amounting to Rs.58.96 crore against loans totalling over Rs.172 crore was virtually distributed to 1,578 new units established across the country. This initiative has led to the creation of 17,358 new jobs. This effort provides essential financial support to micro-enterprises and empowers them to contribute towards sustainable job creation.

Highlighting the progress of village industry activities in Gujarat, Chairman KVIC Shri Manoj Kumar stated that over the last 12 years, more than 5,500 machines and toolkits have been distributed within the state, providing direct employment to over 11,500 artisans. This achievement emphasizes KVIC's commitment to generating sustainable livelihoods in rural regions. Currently, employment is being provided to 23,505 artisans through 247 Khadi institutions operating under the Ahmedabad State Office, thereby ensuring both economic empowerment and the preservation of traditional skills. Over the last five years, production worth Rs. 1,143 crore and sales worth Rs. 2,363 crore were recorded through these Khadi institutions, reflecting the growing popularity of Khadi.

In this sequence, 14,638 units have been established in Gujarat over the last five years under the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP). Margin money assistance exceeding Rs. 1,235 crore was provided to these units, offering entrepreneurs initial financial support that enhanced the establishment and operation of these enterprises. As a result of these efforts, employment opportunities have been generated for over 1.40 lakh people in the state, thereby not only fostering self-employment but also strengthening the economic condition of rural and semi-urban areas. Speaking on this occasion, the Chairman KVIC stated that, presently, entrepreneurship in rural India is gaining a new direction through the efforts of KVIC. The broad vision of self-reliance that has evolved under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is economically empowering villages by connecting traditional skills with modern opportunities. Our objective is to ensure that every village becomes a centre of production and every family secures a dignified livelihood.

Addressing the artisans, Chairman Shri Manoj Kumar remarked that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s resolution of ‘Viksit Bharat@2047’ is a modern extension of Mahatma Gandhi’s core ethics of ‘Swadeshi’, ‘Gram Swaraj’, and ‘Aatmanirbharta’. He further said that the spirit of ‘Har Ghar Swadeshi’ and ‘Ghar-Ghar Swadeshi’ is presently reaching every citizen, and Khadi and Village Industries are emerging as powerful instruments for transforming this vision into reality. He further added that while the ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative is gaining recognition for local products, the ‘Local to Global’ and ‘Make for World’ initiatives are enabling these products to establish a presence in the international market, thereby infusing new energy into the rural economy.

In his address, the Chairman KVIC reiterated that, as a result of the Modi government's policies, Khadi and Village Industry products have carved out a distinct identity for themselves on the global stage. Over the past decade, the turnover of Khadi and Village Industries has surpassed Rs. 1.7 lakh crore, generating employment opportunities for over 2 crore people. He stated that this transformation symbolizes not merely an economic shift, but also a social and cultural renaissance, wherein Gandhiji's philosophy of Swadeshi and the Prime Minister's vision of a modern India are advancing together.

Representatives of Khadi institutions, artisans, trainees, bank representatives, as well as officers and employees from the KVIC and the State Government, were present at the event.

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