Khadi Diwali Fest-2026 Opens at Connaught Place in Delhi

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) held the 'Khadi Diwali Fest-2026' at NDMC Palika Park, Connaught Place, New Delhi, opposite Regal Cinema. KVIC Chairman Manoj Goel was the chief guest and inaugurated the fest, which carries the theme 'Khadi-wali Diwali'. A media interaction and a 'Diwali Milan' get-together were part of the day's programme.

What the fest is for

The fest asks buyers to choose Khadi and swadeshi goods during Diwali and the other festivals, gives the work of Indian artisans and rural entrepreneurs a wider audience, and tries in particular to draw young people into the swadeshi movement. It carries forward the Prime Minister's call of 'Har Ghar Swadeshi, Ghar Ghar Swadeshi' along with 'Vocal for Local' and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Discounts and dates

The sector's figures

Speaking to reporters, the Chairman said the turnover of the Khadi and village industries sector crossed Rs 1.87 lakh crore in the financial year 2025-26, and that the sector now employs more than 2.04 crore people. He expressed confidence that it would reach a turnover target of Rs 2.51 lakh crore in the near future.

A podcast for Gen-Z

KVIC has started a podcast called 'Baat Khadi Ki' to carry the ideas of Viksit Bharat @ 2047 and 'Vocal for Local' to younger listeners. It takes up the history of Khadi, modern fashion, innovation and enterprise among the young. The Chairman asked young people to be more than customers: they could work as brand ambassadors, designers, digital promoters and entrepreneurs, and use social media, e-commerce, digital marketing and start-ups to take Khadi from the local market to the global one.

Khadi and Gandhi

The Chairman recalled that Mahatma Gandhi saw Khadi not merely as a cloth but as a mark of self-reliance, self-respect and economic freedom. He added that when a family prefers Khadi during the festive weeks, the money reaches artisans, weavers and rural entrepreneurs directly, which makes such a purchase a contribution to the national economy rather than only a consumer choice.

Why it matters for aspirants

KVIC is a statutory body under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and questions on it usually ask for the chairman's name, the sector's turnover and employment figures, and the name of a campaign or scheme launched. This release supplies all of them together with the theme of the fest and the name of the new podcast.