New Delhi, Sep 7 Prime Minister Narendra Modi's clarion call to be 'vocal for local' has seen an increasing demand for the Khadi and Village Industry Commission's (KVIC) items on its e-portal.
In less than two months, the KVIC has served nearly 4,000 customers since it ventured into the online marketing segment that has quickly established a pan-India reach enabling the artisans to sell their products in the remotest parts of India. Through the KVIC e-Portal www.kviconline.gov.in/khadimask/, the online sale that was launched with just Khadi face masks on July 7 this year, has evolved into a full-fledged e-market platform with 180 products today and many more in the pipeline.
The product range includes hand-spun and hand-woven fine fabrics like Muslin, Silk, Denim and Cotton, Unisex Vichar Vastra by Ritu Beri, Khadi's Signature Wrist Watch, a variety of honey, Herbal and Green Tea, Herbal Medicines and Soaps, Papad, Kacchi Ghani Mustard Oil and a range of herbal cosmetics among many others. The KVIC is adding at least 10 new products to its online inventory on a daily basis and it has set a target of adding at least 1000 products by October 2 this year.
KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said the online sale of Khadi products is a big push to "Swadeshi" and aims at empowering the local artisans.
"Khadi's E-market portal is providing our artisans an additional platform to sell their goods. This is a concrete step towards building of Atmanirbhar Bharat," Saxena said.
He said that the product range is priced from Rs 50 to Rs 5,000, keeping in mind the choice and affordability of all sections of buyers. "Earlier products of Khadi institutions were sold only through outlets and hence their visibility was confined to a few states only. However, with KVIC's e-portal, products are now reaching to the far-flung areas of the country and thus giving wider marketing spectrum to Khadi institutions which will ultimately increase their production and add to the income of artisans."
Customers, too, have expressed great satisfaction over the online sale of Khadi products. A regular Khadi customer in Delhi who used to buy products from the Khadi India outlet in Connaught Place could not find the same products in Assam where he is posted now. However, the e-market platform has enabled him to order his desired products online and receive them at his doorsteps.
The KVIC has received online orders from 31 states and union territories that include the far-flung Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. The KVIC has fixed the minimum order value at Rs 599 for free delivery of goods. It has entered into an agreement with the Postal Department for delivery of consignments via Speed Post.
The KVIC developed the e-portal in-house and thus saved crores of rupees to the exchequer. The exercise is similar to the PMEGP e-portal developed in-house by KVIC where it saved at least Rs 20 crore on website development and maintenance.
The KVIC's online inventory also includes stitched Modi Kurta and Modi Jackets for men and palazzo and straight trousers for women. Several other products like Khadi Rumal, spices, herbal neem wood comb, shampoo, cosmetics, cow dung and cow urine soap, yoga dress and several varieties of ready-to-eat food have been included so far.
( With inputs from IANS )
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