KVIC hikes wages of khadi artisans on Gandhi Jayanti

New Delhi [India], October 3 (ANI): On the auspicious occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, the Centre announced a significant wage hike for Khadi artisans across the country.

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), under the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India, on Wednesday implemented the wage hike for Khadi artisans.

As per Manoj Kumar, Chairman, KVIC, spinners who spin yarn on the charkha will see a 25 per cent increase in their wages, while weavers who work on the loom will receive a 7 per cent hike.

Additionally, a special discount of 20 per cent on Khadi products and 10 per cent on Village Industries products has been launched at the flagship Khadi Bhavan in Connaught Place, New Delhi, as well as across the country.

On September 17, 2024, in a ceremony held at Mahatma Gandhi’s birthplace, Porbandar, on the occasion of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s birthday, the announcement of a 25 per cent wage hike for spinners and a 7 per cent increase for weavers was made. The revised wages came into effect on October 2, 2024, on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.

Kumar explained that spinners who previously earned Rs 10 per hank would now receive Rs 12.50, an increase of Rs 2.50 per hank. He highlighted that this is the second time in his tenure that the wages of spinners and weavers have been increased; the last hike was on April 1, 2023, when wages were raised from Rs 7.50 to Rs 10 per hank.

Chairman Manoj Kumar credited Prime Minister Modi’s leadership for transforming the lives of spinners and weavers through the ‘Khadi Revolution.

The Khadi sector’s business crossed Rs 1.55 lakh crore in the last fiscal year, and to ensure the benefits reach Khadi artisans, KVIC has decided to increase wages. Kumar added that there are approximately 3,000 registered Khadi institutions across the country employing around 4.98 lakh Khadi artisans, of which nearly 80 per cent are women.

The Chairman noted that the increased wages will empower these artisans economically. He emphasized that during Prime Minister Modi’s tenure over the past decade, wages have increased by nearly 213 per cent, symbolizing the economic empowerment of rural India through Khadi.