New Delhi: On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, Manoj Kumar, Chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), under the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India, extended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for the welfare of the poor by announcing a significant wage increase for Khadi artisans across the country. Spinners who spin yarn on the charkha will receive a 25% wage hike, while weavers working on the loom will see a 7% increase. Additionally, a special discount of 20% on Khadi products and 10% on Village Industries products has been launched at the flagship Khadi Bhavan in Connaught Place, New Delhi, as well as across the country.
To mark Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, Union Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister J.P. Nadda, Union MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Minister of State for MSME and Labour & Employment Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, along with KVIC Chairman Manoj Kumar and other dignitaries, shopped at the Khadi Bhavan on Baba Kharak Singh Marg, officially launching the special discount campaign. J.P. Nadda purchased fabric for a Khadi kurta and Village Industries products, making the payment online. Addressing the media, Nadda appealed to citizens to support Khadi products.
Jitan Ram Manjhi also encouraged people through the media to embrace Khadi and indigenous products as part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat campaign.
Speaking at the event, KVIC Chairman Manoj Kumar reiterated Mahatma Gandhi’s words: "I see God in every thread spun on the charkha." In line with this philosophy, KVIC has been working towards the welfare of the poor through the "Charkha Revolution."
On 17 September 2024, at a ceremony in Porbandar, Mahatma Gandhi’s birthplace, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday celebrations, the announcement of the 25% wage hike for spinners and a 7% increase for weavers was made. The revised wages took effect from 2 October 2024, Gandhi Jayanti. Kumar explained that spinners, who previously earned ₹10 per hank, will now receive ₹12.50, marking an increase of ₹2.50 per hank. He also pointed out that this is the second wage increase during his tenure, with the last hike on 1 April 2023, when wages were raised from ₹7.50 to ₹10 per hank.
Manoj Kumar credited Prime Minister Modi’s leadership for transforming the lives of spinners and weavers through the 'Khadi Revolution.' The Khadi sector’s business crossed ₹1.55 lakh crore in the last fiscal year, and to ensure the benefits reach Khadi artisans, KVIC decided to increase wages. Kumar highlighted that there are approximately 3,000 registered Khadi institutions employing around 4.98 lakh Khadi artisans, of which nearly 80% are women. The increased wages will empower these artisans economically. He emphasised that during Prime Minister Modi’s tenure over the past decade, wages have risen by nearly 213%, reflecting the economic empowerment of rural India through Khadi.
In his address to the media, Manoj Kumar announced the nationwide launch of a special discount campaign, including at the flagship Khadi showroom in Connaught Place, New Delhi. The campaign, running from 2 October to 30 November 2024, offers a 20% discount on Khadi products and a 10% discount on Village Industries products.
Kumar also highlighted that in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call in his popular 'Mann Ki Baat' programme, the Khadi Bhavan in Connaught Place has set new sales records every year on Gandhi Jayanti for the past decade. Sales have consistently exceeded ₹1 crore on Gandhi Jayanti, with ₹1.01 crore in 2021-22, ₹1.34 crore in 2022-23, and ₹1.52 crore in 2023-24. These figures underscore how Khadi, under Modi’s leadership, has become the symbol of the 'Vocal for Local' and 'Made in India' movements, representing the rise of 'New India’s New Khadi.'
BI Bureau
