The Khadi and Village Industries Commission is planning to invest over Rs 2,000 crore for improving the infrastructure in the next three years. The commission has secured Rs 750 crore from the Asian Development Bank as Khadi Reform Development Package.
The bank would route the fund to KVIC over three years through the Centre. The fund would be used for replacing obsolete looms and for strengthening grassroot level khadi societies, KVIC chief executive officer J S Mishra said.
Besides, KVIC is expecting a budgetary support of Rs 1,654 crore, up from Rs 1,123 crore during 2008-09.
Mishra said at present over 10 million people were employed under different KVI schemes and programmes. “By 2011-12, we plan to provide employment to an additional five million people under the KVIC umbrella,” he added.
KVIC is running a scheme -- Product Development, Design Intervention and Packaging -- to encourage institutional and individual research on khadi apparels and novel marketing ideas. “We have also set up an Export Promotion Council, which is engaged in organising fashion shows, exhibitions, and publicity in foreign countries,” he added.
There are about 7,000 KVIC outlets in the country and the commission is modernising them at a cost of Rs 175 crore. In Uttar Pradesh, investment proposals worth Rs 1,148 crore have been received.
