Mahatma Gandhi promoted Khadi while fighting for India’s independence from the year 1920. Khadi played a very important role in India’s struggle for freedom and self- dependence. This happened as India’s textile industry was in ruins and Indians had to use textile imported from Europe. A lot of people could not afford that and so Gandhi inspired people to spin their clothes on their own. The Charkha was what Gandhi used to spin Khadi and this charkha was thus a very important weapon for fighting against poverty. It also allowed the people for self employment and Gandhi appealed to all Indians to wear only Khadi and boycott British produced clothes and all other goods. This also united the people of various class and religions against one common enemy – the British.

Khadi today has gained importance in various countries of the world and it is being used for designers of international fame to design fashion wears all across the world. Khadi as a fabric is comfortable and made from pure cotton and/or silk. It is also good for the skin and lasts long. Khadi can be dyed in numerous colors and is perfect for the summers and winters alike. Today khadi is used to make kurtis, sarees, dhotis, bags, bed covers and many more such things and these come with variety of designs and styles.

History

The Khadi and Village Industry Commission (KVIC) was formed by the Government of India under the “Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act 1956”. It is under the ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and its main aim is to promote, facilitate and organize  the development and establishment of village and khadi industries in the rural areas of India. Head office of KVIC is in Mumbai and it has six zonal offices in Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore, Bhopal, Guwahati and Mumbai.

Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan in Delhi was established in the year 1967 with the aim of promoting and encouraging the Indian artisans and weavers. It is labor intensive in nature and one of the biggest benefits of this industry is that very little investment is required for set up. Hence, this is a very viable option for rural Indians.

The raw materials for this industry are sourced from different parts of the country. the cotton variety comes from states like Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the silk variety is sourced from West Bengal, North Eastern states, Bihar and Orissa. The woolen variety comes from states like Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana while khadi poly is spun in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Objectives

There are three main objectives and they are:

• Offering employment to rural India is the social objective
• Offering saleable articles and encouraging the sale of khadi products is the economic objective and
• Develop a strong rural community and make rural India self independent is the wider objective

Location

The Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan is located at one of the busiest locations in Delhi viz. Connaught Place. This means that you can reach here from any part of the city. The nearest metro is Rajiv Chowk metro and there are also DTC buses that take you here. You can also hire cabs and autos. It is bang opposite the Rivoli Cinema Hall and is really easy to locate.

Inside the Premises

The Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan has been recently refurbished and there is Gandhi statue welcoming you at the entrance. It is a modern store comprising of four floors. All the floors are spacious and well-lit. The stairs are wide and there is a lot of space to move around.

Each floor offers you a specific products and items. This store does not only offer traditional Indian wears. There is ‘designer wear’ section where you will find western dresses as well.

Various Articles

The store offers you a wide collection of different kinds of products starting from 100% pure honey to even ‘multani mitti’. There are clothes made from khadi and pure muslin khadi fabric for sale as well. There are dhotis of different designs, towels, Madhubani paintings, handmade paper products, beautiful stoles, dresses, ready-to-wear garments for men, women and children, jackets, cosmetics, spices, papads, plain printed and designer sarees, jewelries, hand woven fabric and a lot more…all offered to you at reasonable and affordable prices.

There is vast collection of natural or organic products like natural soaps, spices, incense sticks etc.