KVIC Opens Khadi Mahotsav-2026 in Mumbai With Gen-Z Podcast

Khadi Mahotsav-2026 was inaugurated at the KVIC Central Office in Vile Parle, Mumbai, by Shri Manoj Goel, Chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), which works under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. The Press Information Bureau released details on 16 October 2026; the Chairman had opened the festival a day earlier, on 15 October 2026. The purpose is to carry the Prime Minister's call of 'Har Ghar Swadeshi, Ghar-Ghar Swadeshi' and 'Vocal for Local' to younger buyers, especially Gen Z.

The exhibition

The festival runs from 2 October to 31 October 2026 and offers a discount of 20 per cent on Khadi products and 10 per cent on village industry products. A total of 77 units from 12 states are displaying and selling goods through 77 stalls.

The participating states are Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Haryana, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Goods on sale range from Khadi fabric, silk Khadi, poly-Khadi and ready-made garments to herbal products, food items, soaps, incense sticks, spices, leather goods, artificial jewellery, wooden toys, bags, Phulkari, amla products and wooden handicrafts.

The 'Baat Khadi Ki' podcast

KVIC has launched a podcast named 'Baat Khadi Ki' to connect Gen Z with the Swadeshi movement through conversations on Khadi's heritage, innovation, modern fashion and youth entrepreneurship, in line with the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.

What the Chairman said

Shri Manoj Goel recalled that Mahatma Gandhi had made Khadi a symbol of self-reliance during the freedom movement, and argued that the energy, creativity and technological ease of young people can widen the Swadeshi movement today. Young buyers, he said, can become not only consumers but brand ambassadors, designers, digital promoters and entrepreneurs for indigenous products, taking them from local markets to global ones through social media, e-commerce and start-ups. He added that quality, contemporary design, attractive packaging, branding and access to digital marketplaces are what the sector must now work on.

Sector figures

Speaking to the media, the Chairman said the turnover of the Khadi and village industries sector crossed Rs 1.87 lakh crore in 2025-26 and that the sector employs more than 2.04 crore people. He expressed confidence that the sector would reach its turnover target of Rs 2.51 lakh crore in the coming years.