Now feel the fineness of handcrafted Khadi fabric in the footwear

26 October 2020: Now feel the fineness of handcrafted Khadi fabric in the footwear. Union Minister for Ministry of Micro,Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), Nitin Gadkari recently launched India’s first-ever high quality Khadi Fabric Footwear, designed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC). These footwear are made of Khadi fabric like Silk, Cotton and Wool. Through Video Conference Gadkari also launched the online sale of Khadi footwear through KVIC’s e-portal.

To begin with, the footwear have been launched in 15 designs for ladies and 10 designs for men, with price ranging from Rs.1,100 to Rs. 3,300 per pair. Available in a wide range of designs, colors and prints, these footwear have been designed to suit clothing for all purposes – formal, casual and festive occasions.

Size of Indian footwear industry is approx Rs.50,000 crore which includes exports worth nearly Rs.18,000 crore. So, Khadi India set to capture a market worth Rs.5,000 crore.

Exquisite Khadi products like Patola Silk of Gujarat, Banarasi Silk, Madhubani-printed Silk of Bihar, Khadi Denim, Tussar Silk, Matka – Katia Silk, a variety of Cotton fabric, Tweed Wool and Khadi Poly Vastra have been used to make these footwear unique and trendy. Such unique products had high potential of capturing the international market. Khadi fabric footwear would create additional employment and higher income for our artisans, the Minister said while also urging the KVIC to develop alternatives to leather accessories like ladies’ handbags, purses, wallet in handcrafted Khadi fabric that has a huge potential in foreign markets.

Minister of State for MSME, Pratap Chandra Sarangi said the Khadi fabric footwear is not only environment-friendly and skin-friendly but it reflects the hard work of Khadi artisans that has been put in to make fabric for these footwear.

KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said “The idea behind launching Khadi Fabric Footwear was to tap the international market. Khadi fabric footwear is a small step for people, but it will be a giant leap for our Khadi artisans. Using fine fabric like Cotton, Silk and Wool in footwear will lead to higher production of fabric by artisans as well as increase in its consumption. This will ultimately create additional employment and higher income for Khadi artisans.”