Assam Khadi's road to success, a long way to go

Guwahati: The Assam Khadi and Village Industries Board's (AKVIC) long history is filled with both market possibilities and challenges.

In light of its extensive history dating back to ancient India, the khadi industry, which was established in 1951, has long been a leader in the nation. But does it still exude glory in the twenty-first century?

A traditional handwoven fabric called khadi was once a major industry in India, according to a representative of the Assam Khadi and Village Industries Board.

Not only do they make clothing, but they also make jaggery, honey, mustard oil, etc. The locals receive direct lending assistance to launch their companies.

They nevertheless continue to produce and sell things in the same manner as always, though.

An executive official stated that Assam can promote Muga and Pat as local products.

The creation of jobs is the key motivation for opening a khadi facility in the state. There are barely 230 workers right now. Even though there are about 870 authorised positions, the administration has not yet assigned anyone to the open positions.

Assam Khadi Board generates up to 1 crore in revenue annually. It can be mentioned that there are 41 Khadi Production Centers, of which 19 have placed sales units around the state, and one of which is in Kolkata.

For months, there have been no uniform sales. Sales did, however, increase around Gandhi Jayanti, Independence Day, and Republic Day.

Politicians, government officials, and members of the public issue instructions to the Khadi departments.

They informed BNE that the demand for Har Ghar Tiranga has increased dramatically since Independence Day in the year 2022 when the government began a campaign for it. They produced about 25–30 lakh flags yet couldn't keep up with the demand.

The overall area of the clothing manufactured in 2018–2019 was 11,150 square metres. It was valued at Rs. 31, 2000 in total. The quantity that was created was sold for Rs. 87.59 lakhs.

10, 557 sq.m. worth of clothing were manufactured overall in 2019–2020. The same was worth 37.77 lakhs. and cost Rs. 90.17 lakhs when sold.

12, 248 square metres were produced in total in 2020–2021. The garments were worth Rs. 43. 74 lakh (4373000). and was purchased for more than 90 lakhs.

On July 11, 2022, the government launched the Saunirbhar Nari portal (https://swanirbharnaari.assam.gov.in/Home/login) for the online selling of goods.

The site allows weavers connected to various Khadi Production Centers to register their names. The items are available for purchase from customers all around the world. The gateway will assist the weavers in gaining more visibility than they previously had. Such a plan for modernising the items does not yet exist. However, many hold out hope for future reforms.

Women choose to solely offer traditional clothing and other items.

The use of the "Mudra Scheme" by business owners is another point of emphasis for the Assam government.

The road to success in Assam's khadi industry is not without obstacles. However, the addition of new features like internet sales may soon give it a makeover. To reach a growth scale, it is important to adopt current fashion trends in clothing and export goods on a large scale.