In his first radio address this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized that khadi has the potential to generate employment in the country. He described khadi as Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy and a fabric that signifies India’s culture.

“Khadi has the power to provide employment to crores of people. It has now become a symbol and a centre of interest of the nation’s youth,” Modi said in his first ‘Mann Ki Baat’ address in 2016.

“Sardar Patel had said India’s independence is in khadi, India’s civilisation represents khadi, farmers’ welfare is in khadi.”

Modi said that khadi was quickly gaining attention among the youth and was carving a niche for itself in the world of fashion.

He said railways ministry, police, navy, Uttarakhand postal service and other government offices have taken up initiatives to promote Khadi.

Modi’s stress on khadi came even as the government is in the process of creating a brand out of the fabric as part of its efforts to make it an international product. Khadi will be branded ‘Harit Vastra’ to pitch the fabric in the market as an organic, green fabric.

Minister of state for micro small and medium enterprises, Giriraj Singh has submitted a proposal to the Prime Minister for the government to collaborate with private textile mills to produce and market ‘Harit Vastra’. Independent studies have suggested that the market potential for khadi goods in India stands at a whopping Rs 40,000 crore.

The ministry also has plans to revamp the 7,000-odd Khadi and Village Industries Commission stores spread across the country.