Khadi goes global, KVIC stores in Dubai, Paris by 2018

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) under the Indian ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) plans to open its outlets abroad by the start of 2018. The commission, which has set a sales target of Rs 5,000 crore for fiscal 2018-19, will initially open stores in Dubai and Paris, according to chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena.

In 2016-17, KVIC’s sales figure was Rs 2,005 crore compared to around Rs 1,520 crore in the previous fiscal.

Khadi as a brand of clothing has gained significance in the recent past with Prime Minister Narendra Modi promoting it, Saxena recently told news persons.

Organisations like the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC), Air India and Indian Railways have placed orders with KVIC and many institutions, such as the Institute of Company Secretaries of India and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, now prefer only using Khadi gowns and shawls for their annual convocation ceremonies.

Private companies are also not left behind. Leading textile and apparel conglomerate Raymond Limited launched its first branded khadi label, 'Khadi by Raymond', in May this year. Others that have joined the khadi trail to introduce their own variants include Allen Solly, Turtle, Arvind Ltd and Ritu Beri.

KVIC added 286 new stores in the last three years and is now testing lounge format stores called ‘Khadi India Lounge’. The first set of these lounges targeting upmarket clientele have been set up in Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur. Similar stores will be set up in Bhopal, Goa and Lucknow by the end of the year.