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Khadi: NIFT Centre of Excellence Builds 2,129 Design Collections

The MSME Ministry says the Centre of Excellence for Khadi at NIFT Delhi has built 2,129 design collections and that 80% of Khadi artisans are women.

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Khadi: NIFT Centre of Excellence Builds 2,129 Design Collections

Why in News

On 9 October 2026 the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises detailed the reach of Khadi and Village Industries, including 2,129 design collections developed at the NIFT Delhi Centre of Excellence and women forming about 80 per cent of Khadi artisans.

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has set out how Khadi and Village Industries are carrying rural livelihoods, employment and the goal of an Atmanirbhar Bharat, pulling together the sector's design work, artisan earnings, export push and green credentials.

What sets Khadi apart

Khadi is spun by hand and woven by hand from natural fibres in local production systems, and hand spinning is the single feature that separates it from handloom. Because the work is labour-intensive and spread out rather than concentrated, it creates jobs at several skill levels. The ministry links the sector to SDG 1 on ending poverty and SDG 8 on decent work, and its recycling potential to SDG 12 and SDG 13.

Design and new products

Khadi has moved into fashion and lifestyle, with denim, designer saris, bridal wear, shirts and trousers aimed at younger buyers. The Centre of Excellence for Khadi at NIFT, Delhi has built 2,129 Khadi design collections across categories. Navyug Khadi was launched with 710 new products, and a wellness and yoga wear line called Svadha has been added.

Artisans and women's share

Design collections at NIFT Delhi centre2,129
Products under Navyug Khadi710
Artisans reporting higher incomeMore than 75 per cent
Women among Khadi artisansAbout 80 per cent

Spinning and weaving wages were raised from April 2025, and artisans have been given better tools, infrastructure and marketing support. An evaluation by EDII, Ahmedabad found that more than 75 per cent of artisans covered by the schemes saw a measurable rise in income. About 80 per cent of the roughly half a million Khadi artisans are women, whose share is largest in agarbatti, handmade paper, the Honey Mission and service industries. The supporting schemes are Khadi Vikas Yojana, Gramodyog Vikas Yojana and PMEGP.

Exports, GI and green plants

KVIC has registered as an Export Promotion Council on the Trade Portal of the Consulate General of India in New York. The GI tag for Ponduru Khadi is expected to lift what its distinctive cotton and traditional spinning fetch. Ponduru Khadi, Bharat Kasturi Cotton, Bengal Muslin and naturally coloured cotton goods were displayed at the first BRICS MSME Forum in Agra. KVIC's Central Sliver Plants at Chittadurga in Karnataka and Kuttur in Kerala have finished modernisation and are running, with the Chittadurga plant drawing 50 per cent of its energy from solar power while wind is being explored. KVIC is also working with ICAR-CIRCOT on naturally coloured cotton varieties to cut water use and chemical pollution from dyeing.

Important Facts

MinistryMinistry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
Centre of Excellence for KhadiNIFT, Delhi, with 2,129 design collections
Navyug KhadiLaunched with 710 new products
Wellness and yoga wear lineSvadha
Income riseMore than 75 per cent of artisans, per EDII Ahmedabad study
Women artisansAbout 80 per cent of roughly half a million Khadi artisans
SchemesKhadi Vikas Yojana, Gramodyog Vikas Yojana and PMEGP
GI tagPonduru Khadi
Central Sliver Plants modernisedChittadurga, Karnataka and Kuttur, Kerala
Solar share at Chittadurga50 per cent of its energy requirement

Exam Point of View

Remember that hand spinning separates Khadi from handloom; the Centre of Excellence for Khadi is at NIFT, Delhi with 2,129 design collections; Navyug Khadi carries 710 products and Svadha is the wellness and yoga wear line; more than 75 per cent of artisans reported higher income in the EDII Ahmedabad study; about 80 per cent of roughly half a million artisans are women; the schemes are Khadi Vikas Yojana, Gramodyog Vikas Yojana and PMEGP; Ponduru Khadi has a GI tag; and the Central Sliver Plants are at Chittadurga and Kuttur.

Practice Questions

Q1.Government SchemesMedium

How many Khadi design collections has the Centre of Excellence for Khadi at NIFT, Delhi developed?

  1. A.1,024
  2. B.1,750
  3. C.2,129
  4. D.3,400
Show answer
Correct answer: C. 2,129

Explanation

The correct answer is 2,129. The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises stated that the Centre of Excellence for Khadi at NIFT, Delhi has developed that many Khadi design collections across multiple categories, as part of the effort to place Khadi in contemporary fashion and lifestyle. The same account records the launch of Navyug Khadi with 710 new products and of a wellness and yoga wear collection named Svadha. Options A, B and D are invented totals that appear nowhere in the ministry's account, and a candidate who confuses the design collections with the product count would wrongly pick a smaller figure. The safest way to hold these numbers is as a pair, namely the larger number for design collections at the NIFT centre and the smaller one for products under Navyug Khadi.

Q2.Government SchemesEasy

According to the MSME Ministry, roughly what share of Khadi artisans are women?

  1. A.About 40 per cent
  2. B.About 55 per cent
  3. C.About 65 per cent
  4. D.About 80 per cent
Show answer
Correct answer: D. About 80 per cent

Explanation

The correct answer is about 80 per cent. The ministry said that women make up roughly four fifths of the approximately half a million Khadi artisans, and that their participation has been especially strong in agarbatti, handmade paper, the Honey Mission and the service industries, giving them a route to financial independence. Options A, B and C all understate the share and match no figure in the account. Candidates should not confuse this share with the separate finding of the evaluation study by the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India at Ahmedabad, which reported that more than 75 per cent of artisans across the schemes saw a measurable increase in income after the interventions. One number describes who the artisans are, the other what happened to their earnings.

Q3.Government SchemesHard

Where are the two modernised and operational Central Sliver Plants of KVIC located?

  1. A.Chittadurga in Karnataka and Kuttur in Kerala
  2. B.Ponduru in Andhra Pradesh and Agra in Uttar Pradesh
  3. C.Nagpur in Maharashtra and Bhavnagar in Gujarat
  4. D.Erode in Tamil Nadu and Guntur in Andhra Pradesh
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Chittadurga in Karnataka and Kuttur in Kerala

Explanation

The correct answer is Chittadurga in Karnataka and Kuttur in Kerala. The ministry said the Central Sliver Plants of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission are being modernised and that these two have completed the work and become operational, with the Chittadurga plant meeting half of its energy requirement from solar power while wind power is under study. Option B mixes up two places that figure in the account for other reasons, since Ponduru is the Khadi variety that received a GI tag and Agra hosted the first BRICS MSME Forum. Options C and D name industrial towns that do not appear at all. The examination hook here is the link between the two plant locations, the solar share at Chittadurga and the commission that owns them.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Khadi design collections has the Centre of Excellence at NIFT Delhi developed?

It has developed 2,129 Khadi design collections across multiple categories. Alongside that, Navyug Khadi was launched with 710 new products and a wellness and yoga wear collection named Svadha was introduced.

What share of Khadi artisans are women?

About 80 per cent of the roughly half a million Khadi artisans are women. Their participation is strongest in agarbatti, handmade paper, the Honey Mission and service industries, which the ministry treats as avenues of women's economic empowerment.

Which Khadi variety has received a GI tag?

Ponduru Khadi has been awarded the GI tag, which is expected to improve the value realised for its distinctive cotton and traditional spinning and weaving. It was showcased along with Bharat Kasturi Cotton and Bengal Muslin at the first BRICS MSME Forum in Agra.

What separates Khadi from handloom?

Hand spinning is the key differentiator. Khadi is both hand-spun and hand-woven from natural fibres, while handloom cloth is hand-woven but need not be hand-spun. KVIC supports Khadi institutions through skill development, capacity building and upskilling.

Sources

Tags:#Khadi#KVIC#Navyug Khadi#PMEGP#Ponduru Khadi

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