The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) organized a comprehensive distribution program under theGramodyog Vikas Yojana in Gojawandpur, located in the Kanker district of Chhattisgarh. Through this initiative, modern machinery and toolkits were distributed with the aim of infusing new momentum into the rural economy. This endeavor is a significant effort towards effectively realizingPrime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant India), ‘Viksit Bharat@2047’ (Developed India@2047), and ‘Vocal for Local’at the grassroots level.Shri Manoj Kumar Chairman KVIC graced the programme as the Chief Guest.

Under this program, 836 machines and toolkits were distributed to 540 beneficiaries. The equipment included 400 bee-boxes for beekeeping (Virtual mode), 10 incense stick manufacturing machines, 100 footwear repair kits, 240 electric potter wheels, 8 sets of tamarind processing units, 8 sets of leaf-plate and bowl manufacturing machines, 10 sets of footwear manufacturing machines, 20 sets of carpentry toolkits, as well as 20 electrician and 20 plumber toolkits. This initiative serves as a concerted step toward transforming local resources and traditional skills into modern enterprises, thereby fostering sustainable income opportunities for artisans.

Speaking on this occasion, Chairman KVIC Shri Manoj Kumar stated that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, a new Ecosystem has been established to make rural India self-reliant—an ecosystem in which artisans and entrepreneurs stand at the very center of this transformation. He emphasized that this initiative is not merely about the distribution of tools; but, it serves as a vehicle for fostering entrepreneurship, self-confidence, and economic empowerment within rural communities. He further added that KVIC is working on an integrated model wherein rural industries are being rendered sustainable and competitive through the convergence of training, financial assistance, technological upgradation, and marketing support. This approach is providing access and wider market to local products and lending renewed strength to the rural economy. He emphasized that, with the efforts of KVIC, hundreds of thousands of artisans have become self-reliant and are making significant contributions to the 'Make in India' and 'Make for the World' campaigns.

Over the past five years, 12,513 units have been established under the Raipur State Office through the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP). These units were provided with margin money assistance exceeding ₹328 crore, resulting in the creation of employment opportunities for more than 100104 people. This achievement shows that these schemes are yielding effective results at the rural level and are generating employment on a large scale. During this same period, under the Gramodyog Vikas Yojana, specifically through various initiatives such as the Honey Mission, Potter Empowerment, Agarbatti (Incense Stick) manufacturing, Flower Processing, Leather work, and the Service Sector—a total of 2,736 machines and toolkits have been distributed. This has led to a significant increase in both the productivity and income-generating opportunities for 1,615 artisans. In the Khadi sector as well, employment is currently being provided to 7,105 artisans through 26 Khadi institutions operating under the Raipur State Office. The consistent growth observed in production and sales indicates that Khadi is no longer merely a tradition, but is emerging as a robust pillar of the rural economy. He stated that over the past 11 years, the Khadi and Village Industries sector has achieved unprecedented progress, recording a turnover of over₹1.70 lakh crore. During this period, employment opportunities were created for more than 2 crore people—a testament to the growing strength of the rural economy.

The event was attended by the Chairman of the Chhattisgarh Khadi and Village Industries Board, representatives of Khadi institutions, beneficiaries of the Gramodyog Vikas Yojana, local public representatives, as well as officials and staff of KVIC and the State Office.

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