Need to look for ways to increase Khadi production as sales double

People have been allured towards Khadi after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clarion call last October to adopt the fabric. A year-on-year comparison of the April-June quarter shows that retails sales of Khadi has increased by 30.37 percent.

Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Minister Kalraj Mishra at the launch for an exclusive exhibition cum sales of products from Jammu & Kashmir and Khadi T Shirts said that Khadi sales have doubled. They want the supply to match the rising demand for which they are looking for ways to increase Khadi production.

An analysis of the data revealed that during the April-June quarter, retail sales of readymade Khadi rose 50.68 percent as against the same period last year. Similarly, woolen Khadi sales increased 68.10 percent, silk Khadi sales increased by 33.75 percent, polyvastra Khadi sales rose 59.51 percent, while handicraft sales by 3.03 percent.

Mishra also said that the amendments to the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act are aimed at enhancing the investment limits for MSMEs. It has gone to the Standing Committee. The Standing Committee will present its report during the current session.

The investment limits in plant and machinery for the micro enterprises is proposed to be raised to Rs 50 lakh, of small enterprise to Rs 10 crore and medium enterprise to Rs 30 crore. The existing limit are Rs 25 lakh, Rs 5 and Rs 10 crore respectively.

Narendra Modi, while talking about more use of Khadi in his Mann ki Baat radio address in October said that if you buy Khadi, you light the lamp of prosperity in the house of a poor person.