Karnal, February 14
Inspired by the vision of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India, organized the Joint State-Level Khadi Marketing and PMEGP Exhibition at HSVP Grounds, Sector-12, Karnal.
The exhibition was inaugurated on Saturday by KVIC Chairman Manoj Kumar in the presence of Karnal Mayor Renu Bala Gupta. On this occasion, under the Gramodyog Vikas Yojana (GVY), 206 machines and toolkits along with certificates were distributed to trained artisans. These included 146 leather toolkits, 20 electric potter’s wheels, 20 electrician toolkits and 20 Westwood toolkits.
The exhibition, which will continue until February 22, features 79 stalls set up by entrepreneurs associated with the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), Khadi, SFURTI and other village industry units from various states including Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. All products displayed at the exhibition are swadeshi and environment-friendly. Live demonstrations of indigenous and NMC spinning wheels, pottery and agarbatti manufacturing are also being conducted.
Addressing entrepreneurs, artisans and visitors, KVIC Chairman Shri Manoj Kumar stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Khadi and Village Industries are playing a pivotal role in realizing the vision of an “Aatmanirbhar Bharat.” He said that the exhibition serves as an effective platform to promote self-employment, connect local products with markets and strengthen the rural economy. He further emphasized that this initiative to promote Khadi and Village Industries products and provide new market opportunities to local artisans is a significant step toward realizing the Prime Minister’s vision of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” and “Vocal for Local.” He reiterated that the “New Khadi of New India” is setting new benchmarks and contributing meaningfully to the “Viksit Bharat” campaign.
Highlighting the achievements of KVIC, the Chairman stated that over the past 11 years, the “Khadi Kranti” has taken the turnover of Khadi and Village Industries to over Rs. 1.70 lakh crore, generating employment for more than 2 crore persons across the country. He added that various Gram Swaraj-oriented schemes implemented under the leadership of the Prime Minister have empowered rural India, strengthened artisans’ skills and enhanced their self-reliance.
Speaking about the performance of the KVIC State Office, Ambala, Manoj Kumar informed that significant progress has been recorded in the state. Currently, 96 Khadi institutions are operational, providing direct employment to over 59,796 Khadi artisans. Under PMEGP, more than 17,653 projects have been established during the last 11 years, with margin money subsidies exceeding Rs. 584 crore provided by the Government of India. These units have generated employment opportunities for over 2,29,000 youth in the state. He further stated that under the Gramodyog Vikas Yojana, more than 6,000 machines, equipment and toolkits have been distributed during this period, encouraging micro-enterprises in rural areas. Additionally, under the Honey Mission, approximately 4,200 bee boxes and colonies have been distributed through the State Office, Ambala over the past eight years, promoting beekeeping and enhancing the income of rural youth and farmers.
Addressing the gathering, Karnal Mayor Renu Bala Gupta said that KVIC’s schemes have played a significant role in empowering rural India and making it self-reliant. She congratulated the KVIC Chairman and his team for the commendable initiative and appealed to citizens to visit the exhibition in large numbers, adopt swadeshi products and actively contribute to the vision of an Aatmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat. Representatives of Khadi institutions, PMEGP beneficiaries, Khadi workers, and officers and employees of the Punjab and Haryana Governments and KVIC were present at the inaugural function.
