Khadi, the handspun, handwoven cloth once central to India’s freedom struggle was fading into the background. But in recent years, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and policies like Vocal for Local, and Make in India, Khadi has re-emerged not just as nostalgia, but as a vibrant sector driving rural employment, self-reliance, and economic growth.
This article traces Khadi’s origin, the strategies used for its revival, how often PM Modi mentions it in speeches, and where the sector stands today.
MORE THAN A FABRIC: ORIGIN OF KHADI
Khadi’s roots are inseparable from Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian independence movement. It was aspirational, a means to promote Swadeshi (home-made), self-reliance, and a tool to boycott foreign cloth. Spinning a charkha became a symbol of dignity, rural production, and political resistance.
After 1947, Khadi and village industries were institutionalised (for example through the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, KVIC), but over time Khadi lost commercial appeal under competition from mills, synthetic fabrics, cheap power looms, and globalization. The ‘idea’ of Khadi survived, but many artisans faced precarity, and sales remained modest.
COMEBACK UNDER PM MODI: POLICIES, PLATFORM AND PUSH
PM Modi’s government has embedded Khadi revival into its broader policies like Vocal for Local, Make in India, rural artisan empowerment, schemes under the Ministry of MSME, and boosting village industries. Efforts include modernising infrastructure and providing toolkits, machinery, subsidies.
Key statistics of turnover and growth data
PROMOTIONAL PLATFORMS AND MESSAGING:
PM Modi has used several platforms to talk about Khadi and to urge citizens to buy/use Khadi:
1. Mann Ki Baat (his monthly radio address): In the very first episode in October 2014, he urged people to use at least one Khadi article, saying it would help poor weavers.
2. He has consistently reminded citizens via Radio / AIR / DD / mass speeches to include Khadi in their daily life, whether clothing, home items etc.
3. Speeches at festivals and events: e.g., Khadi Utsav (Ahmedabad, Sabarmati Riverfront) where he said Khadi was ‘ignored post-independence’ and the turnaround has happened in last eight years.
Modi’s messaging has shifted from only patriotic or historical importance to multiple dimensions like Khadi as fashion, Khadi as livelihood, Khadi as sustainable and local; ‘Khadi for transformation’ is now sloganised.
SNAPSHOTS FROM HIS SPEECHES ON KHADI
In his first Mann Ki Baat (Oct 3, 2014), he asked listeners to use at least one article of Khadi. That broadcast had a notable festival effect: within a week, sales of Khadi products increased significantly.
In his Khadi Utsav speech in Aug 2022, he explicitly said that Khadi had been ‘ignored till 8 years ago’ and that it is now being revived.
In multiple Mann Ki Baat episodes, he refers to Khadi and its importance for poor vendors / artisans, for rural employment, urging public support.
WHAT’S NEW AND STILL A CHALLENGE
WHAT’S WORKING
- Strong political leadership and continuous public endorsement.
- Institutional support via KVIC, MSME, better infrastructure, modernisation.
- Integration with patriotic, sustainable and fashion narratives.
- Increase in production, sales, employment, very real metrics.
WHAT REMAINS TO BE ADDRESSED:
- Ensuring quality, design innovation so Khadi competes well with power-looms, synthetics.
- Ensuring artisans get fair margins, and that rural logistics (supply chain, marketing) keep pace.
- Sustaining demand beyond government nudges & patriotic events.
- Extending beyond the ‘Khadi-friendly’ urban elite to all segments, with affordability and variety.
Khadi’s story under PM Modi is one of revival, not just preservation. It’s about turning heritage into economy; nostalgia into livelihood. Through policy, public speeches, programs and persistent messaging (e.g. via Mann Ki Baat, Khadi Utsav), Khadi has moved from symbolic fabric to a driver of self-reliance, rural employment, and sustainable fashion.
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