Faced with stiff competition and stagnating sales, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has chalked out a strategy to improve marketing and revamp its image. It intends to invest Rs 10 crore in advertising and marketing this year, which is a quantum jump from what it has been spending so far. KVIC had earlier roped in designers like Rohit Bal for its garments under the label Khoobsurat Khadi. The organisation claims the line has done well.
Moreover, in order to attain a sharper marketing focus, KVIC will soon become a professionally managed marketing company. It is already on the look-out for a brand manager to give a proper direction to its initiatives.
Aiming to become one of the leading FMCG companies in the next few years, KVIC has been test-marketing a range of organic foods under the brandname Desi Ahaar at 10 of its outlets around Delhi. Introduced this April, the Desi Ahaar range has eight products, including porridge, rice, spices, jaggery and pulses. KVIC has signed an MoU with IIT Delhi to assist in research and development as well as quality control of these organic food products.
The Desi Ahaar product range will now be rolled out in Kolkata, Mumbai and Bangalore. KVIC director Karnail Singh said:
