The Chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Shri Manoj Kumar distributed tool-kits and machineries to artisans in a distribution ceremony in Bhubaneshwar (Odisha) on September 01, 2023. During this event, Electric Wheels were distributed to 100 potters, Footwear Toolkits were provided to 75 Leather Artisans and Paper Massey Machines were given to 60 artisans as a part of the Gramodyog Vikas Yojana. The Member of Parliament from the Bhubaneswar Lok-Sabha Constituency, Smt. Aparajita Sarangi and Shri Manoj Kumar Singh, Member East Zone KVIC were also present on the occasion.
An Artisan Sammelan and a Pottery-Expo organized under the Gramodyog Vikas Yojana was organised at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology campus in Bhubaneshwar. Smt. Aparajita Sarangi highlighted the commendable achievements of KVIC in the last 9 years under the leadership of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. She emphasized that KVIC is actively contributing to the realization of the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” vision and playing a vital role in generating employment opportunities in rural India.
Addressing at the event, Shri Manoj Kumar said that over the course of the past 9 years, the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has actively elevated India's cherished national heritage called “Khadi,” to various international platforms. Through his dedicated endeavours, Khadi has now evolved into a prominent global brand. Shri Manoj Kumar further articulated that during India's struggle for independence, Khadi was embraced as the central tool in the Swadeshi movement by the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi. Remarkably, in the contemporary context, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has now effectively positioned ‘Khadi’ as a potent and successful instrument for alleviating poverty, empowering artisans, ensuring food security, promoting women's empowerment, and addressing unemployment. Under his capable leadership, KVIC's products achieved an unprecedented turnover of over Rs.1.34 lakh crores in the previous fiscal year, marking a historic milestone.
Citing data from NITI Aayog, the Chairman of KVIC highlighted that over the past 5 years, a remarkable 13.5 crore individuals have successfully transcended the poverty line in India. Notably, Khadi, under the visionary guidance of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has played a substantial role in uplifting people from poverty in rural areas throughout the nation.During the fiscal year 2022-23, KVIC has contributed significantly to employment generation, by providing impressive total of 9,54,899 new job opportunities.