By — Dilip Guha
In the financial year 2025-26, the sales of Khadi and Village Industries products reached a historic level of Rs. 1,87,105 crore, marking the highest sales figure to date and standing as a powerful testament to rural India’s growing entrepreneurship, self-reliance, and economic empowerment. This is revealed by Shri Manoj Kumar, Chairman, Khadi and Village Industries Commission, (KVIC) under Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India (GOI), at a press conference while releasing provisional data for the financial year 2025-26 at the KVIC’S office located at Gandhi Darshan, Rajghat, New Delhi, today, i.e., 26th May 2026.
He stated that the Commission has established new records in the fields of production, sales, and employment generation. He says Under the visionary leadership and guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Khadi and Village Industries sector has undergone an extraordinary journey of growth and transformation over the last 12 years. Inspired by national campaigns such as ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, ‘Vocal for Local’, and ‘Local to Global’, Khadi is no longer merely a traditional product; however, it has evolved into a vibrant symbol of the ‘New India’s self-reliant, indigenous pride, and rural prosperity. Creating new benchmarks in production, marketing, and employment generation, the Khadi and Village Industries sector has brought new energy and direction into the country’s rural economy.
He highlighted that, compared to the year 2013-14, a remarkable growth of 501 per cent in sales, 380 per cent in production, and 56 per cent in employment generation has been recorded over the last 12 years. Highlighting the growth of previous years, he noted that in the financial year 2024-25, sales grew by 447 percent and production by 347 percent in comparison to 2013-14; similarly, in the financial year 2023-24, a growth of 400 percent in sales and 315 per cent in production was recorded in comparison to 2013-14.
Sales of Khadi and Village Industry Products Surpass Rs 1.87 Lakh Crore Mark
Chairman Shri Manoj Kumar hailed the Khadi and Village Industries Commission’s (KVIC) remarkable performance as a milestone in India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat@2047. He credited the achievement to the effective guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the enduring inspiration of Mahatma Gandhi, and the tireless efforts of millions of artisans in rural India.
Highlighting the scale of progress, Shri Kumar noted that the production of Khadi and Village Industry products, which stood at ₹26,109 crore in 2013–14, has surged nearly fivefold to ₹1,25,296 crore in 2025–26 — a jump of 380 per cent. Sales figures have shown even more dramatic growth, rising from ₹31,154 crore in 2013–14 to an unprecedented ₹1,87,105 crore in 2025–26, marking a sixfold increase of 501 per cent and the highest sales ever recorded.
“This extraordinary growth is not only accelerating the realisation of Viksit Bharat@2047 but also positioning India firmly among the world’s leading economies,” Shri Kumar stated.
Unprecedented Growth in the Production and Sale of Khadi Textiles
He informed, Remarkable progress has also been noted in the Khadi textiles sector. Production, which stood at Rs. 811 crore in 2013-14, soared to Rs. 3,974 crore in the financial year 2025-26, marking an increase of approximately 390 per cent. Simultaneously, sales have increased from Rs. 1,081 crore to reach Rs. 7,869 crore, reflecting a growth of approximately 628 per cent. The positive impact of the Prime Minister’s sustained promotion and propagation of Khadi is clearly evident in the sector’s growing acceptance and market expansion.
Substantial progress has also been witnessed in the village industries sector. While the production of village industry products wasRs.25,298 crore in 2013-14, it has grown to Rs.1,21,322 crore in the financial year 2025-26, an increase of approximately 380 percent. Similarly, sales has increased from Rs.30,073 crore to Rs.1,79,236 crore, reflecting a growth of approximately 496 percent. The village industries sector has also made a significant contribution to employment generation. While 1.19 crore people were employed in this sector in 2013-14, this figure increased to nearly 1.99 crore in the financial year 2025-26,highlighting the sector’s growing role in creating rural livelihoods. Driven by the impact of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s campaigns such as ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Ghar-Ghar Swadeshi’, the demand for village industry products has witnessed a continuous upward trend; consequently, this sector has emerged as a vital pillar for the expansion of rural industries, market consolidation, and employment generation.
KVIC’s Historic Achievement in Employment Generation
KVIC has also achieved a remarkable milestone in the realm of employment generation. While cumulative employment in activities related to Khadi and Village Industries stood at 1.30 crore in the year 2013-14, it has augmented to 2.04 crore in the financial year 2025-26, marking a growth of 56 per cent, thereby highlighting KVIC’s vital role in generating rural livelihoods.
PMEGP Gives New Momentum to Self-Employment and Entrepreneurship
Under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP),66,494 new units were established during the financial year 2025-26, and for these units, a margin money subsidy of Rs. 2,457 crore was disbursed against loans amounting to Rs. 7,375 crore. Through these units, employment opportunities were provided to 7,31,434 people. Since the start of the scheme, a total of 10,84,679 units have been established, for which a margin money subsidy of Rs. 29,623 crore has been disbursed against loans totalling Rs 80,705 crore. Through this initiative, employment has been provided to approximately 97.95 lakh people to date.
There has also been a remarkable increase in the remuneration paid to artisans, which has increased from Rs. 4 per hank in 2013-14 to the current rate of Rs. 15 per hank, marking an increase of approximately 275 per cent.
Empowering Artisans through Tool-Kit Distribution under the Gramodyog Vikas Yojana
Under the Gramodyog Vikas Yojana, so far 51,230 electric pottery wheels, 2,46,099 bee-boxes and bee colonies, 2,674 automatic and pedal-operated Agarbatti manufacturing machines, 7,669 footwear manufacturing and repair tool-kits, 836 paper plate and donamaking machines, 7,571 tool-kits for AC repair, mobile repair, tailoring, electricians, and plumbers; 5,138 machines for turnwood, wastewood crafts, and wooden toy making and 1,789 machines for palm jaggery, Oil Ghani extraction, and tamarind processing machines have been distributed. During the financial year 2025-26, 37,769 machines, toolkits, and equipment have been distributed under this scheme. A review of the last four years indicated that 21,874 units were distributed in 2022-23, 29,540 in FY 2023-24, 38,904 in FY 2024-25, and 37,769 machines and equipment in FY 2025-26. Thus, under the Gramodyog Vikas Yojana, KVIC has so far distributed a total of 3,23,006 machines, toolkits, and equipment, thereby making a substantial contribution towards the realisation of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
Promoting Women’s Empowerment through KVIC’s Efforts
KVIC has played a vital role in the sector of women’s empowerment as well. During the financial year 2025-26, 79,682 trainees received training under various KVIC training programs; notably, 47,382 of these trainees were women, accounting for approximately 59 per cent of the total. Furthermore, under the PMEGP scheme, 28,180 women entrepreneurs established business units during 2025-26, thereby generating employment opportunities for 3,09,980 women, a statistic that emphasises the scheme’s significant role in promoting women’s entrepreneurship. With women establishing over 80 per cent of the approximately 5,00,000 artisans in the Khadi sector, this domain serves as an effective vehicle for women-led economic empowerment.
Growth in Government Procurement, Exhibition Sales, and Demand for National Flags
Alongside, government procurement of Khadi and Village Industries products has increased to Rs. 92.08 crore, reflecting the sector’s growing acceptance and increasing institutional demand. Similarly, sales amounting to Rs. 30.83 crore were recorded through exhibitions and marketing initiatives for Khadi products, thereby reinforcing market expansion and consumer engagement. Additionally, there has been a notable increase in the sales of National Flags, rising from Rs.0.87 crore in 2013-14 to Rs. 2.35 crore in the financial year 2025-26. This growth emphasises the impact of mass campaigns such as ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ in the country, as well as the increasing public engagement with Khadi.
