Amid stiff competition in the market, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has set its eye on boosting sale of khadi products in Tamil Nadu by pursuing an aggressive marketing strategy and involving the Sarvodaya Sanghs in the endeavour.
As part of the marketing strategy, the KVIC has asked the Sarvodaya Sanghs, which run the khadi gramodyog bhavans and sales outlets across the State, to approach educational institutions and companies in their respective areas and embark on a door-to-door campaign to promote and market khadi products on a bigger scale.
The Sarvodaya Sanghs have been asked to engage canvassers to aggressively market khadi products among public in a bid to boost sale in a big way, according to KVIC State Director K.Sudhakar.
The KVIC has proposed to organise a State-level exhibition in Tiruchi in the last week of October as part of its aggressive marketing strategy.
Sarvodaya Sanghs from all over Tamil Nadu besides those from other States would showcase their products at the 15-day expo which would also feature ‘khadi fashion show’.
A sum of Rs.10 lakhs would be spent by the KVIC, which comes under the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Government of India, for organising the State-level expo, Mr.Sudhakar said.
Sale of ladies garments with innovative and new designs would be done in a big way through khadi gramodyog bhavans and sales outlets in the State as part of an effort to augment sales. The KVIC would also concentrate on marketing village industries products such as furniture, herbal products, and food items.
Thrust has been accorded to product development, quality, new designs and attractive packaging so as to woo more customers to the khadi gramodyog bhavans and sales outlets, he said adding that the Sarvodaya Sanghs have been advised to produce ‘customer and demand driven products’.
Around 50 khadi bhavans and sales outlets in Chennai region comprising 22 districts had been renovated with funds granted under the KVIC’s Strengthening of Marketing Infrastructure scheme in the last five years. He said 14 to 15 more khadi bhavans and sales outlets would be revamped in the next couple of years.
In the 2012-13 fiscal, the production target of khadi products had been fixed as Rs.110 crore, while Rs.140 crore had been fixed as the sales target.
Mr.Sudhakar inaugurated the renovated khadi gramodyog bhavan at Karumandapam in the city run by the Tiruchi Sarvodaya Sangh on Saturday.
The Tiruchi Sarvodaya Sangh chairman R.Gnanasigamani Ponnaiah, secretary J.John Peter, Canara Bank chief manager K.N. Shama Rao, and office bearers of various Sarvodaya Sanghs participated.
