Gandhigram Trust (GT) to make available its natural dye Khadi saris and other textile materials in its sales outlets in Madurai and Dindigul as it plans to tap high-end natural dye textile market in the southern districts.

The main objective of making natural dye saris in modern designs is to familiarize Khadi products among the next generation apart from expanding market base and boost income of weavers, said trust secretary R. Sivakumar.

Their showrooms in Dindigul and Madurai will be displaying their natural dye Khadi products.

Based on the survey conducted to study changing preferences and tastes of young women with regard to colours and designs of saris by the Trust, it has roped in textile design experts to give a new look to Khadi textile and the Craft Council of India for production, marketing, support and training in weaving and designing.

Khadi Design and Regeneration Committee Coordinator Sudha Ravi said that Khadi natural dye textile products were received well at the Natural Dye Bazaar organized in association with Cooptex in Chennai recently.

R. Jegatha, a textile designs expert from Hyderabad said that research was on to manufacture natural dye Khadi chutidhar materials. All colours blend easily with other colours in the natural dye yarn. But in chemical dyes, some colours would not match with some others. They play little with colours and use only traditional design for border to give aesthetic look to saris.

The Trust provides direct and indirect employment opportunities to 2000 families. The total turn over of the khadi trust is around Rs. 12.00 crores.