Khadi products to get NIFT edge

Brighter days are ahead for thousands of families dependent on production and sale of khadi products in the State. This is thanks to the Karnataka Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB) deciding to tie up with the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Bangalore, for designing and branding products.

NIFT, a Union government enterprise, will offer training to 40 tailors and 400 craftsmen to master the art of contemporary design of khadi clothes, products and packaging.

Tailors associated with various Khadi Bhandars would be given training, accommodation and a stipend. A sum of Rs. 2 crore would be paid to NIFT during the three-year contract period. Training would be given batch-wise on NIFT campuses.

After the training, the tailors will be designated as master tailors.

H.V. Raghuram, Chief Executive Officer of KVIB, told The Hindu that at present there is no uniformity in the measurement of khadi shirts and other wares. “Things have changed now. More attention will be given to design outfits that look elegant and match designs of international brands.”

Before embarking on the training, NIFT will conduct a study on quality and type of products manufactured by each khadi society in the State. Societies manufacture khadi products such as skirts, kurta-pyjamas, jackets, chudidars, tops, chappals and shoes.

They are available in over 120 showrooms across the State. Mr. Raghuram said products are dyed with the finest organic colours and woven to a soft and smooth finish, giving it a contemporary feel, a wrinkle-free look and comfort. “Designs are to be innovative and trendy to attract the cosmopolitan middle class, which perhaps may not know much about its historical relevance, but wears it as a beautiful fabric,” he said.

The fabric still remains a means of livelihood with dignity for many, particularly in the rural areas.

Incomes of nearly 20,000 families are linked to production of khadi yarn and other products in the State, he said. Taking note of the present outdated designs, the official said the KVIB have been asking societies to adopt modern technologies to design clothes according to the changing times.

The KVIB, which has an annual turnover of about Rs. 80 crore, has plans to revamp its business operations by promoting online sales of khadi and handicrafts as well, he said.