Khadi gets trendy to capture the market

mangalore: while the market in designer wear is heating up with stiff competition amomg numerous brands, the success of the khadi fair at the bharatiya vidya bhavan in pandeshwar near here has come as a shot in the arm for the future of khadi industry, which could well be the fabric to look for in the days to come. the fair which began a fortnight ago has not only created the much-needed awareness regarding khadi but also has boosted the village industries.according to d.l. basavaraj and manjunath kalakeri, district officers of karnataka state khadi and village industries board, the organisers of the fair, the exhibition saw an `unexpected success'' and that it is intended to make the fair an annual event. exhibitions of this kind provide a forum for interaction between the consumers and the small rural craftsmen to interact so as to enhance the awareness of the quality of products available from the village industries all around. while much is being done by the governments to promote village industry, so as to generate employment for rural unemployed, the efforts will not yield the desired results, if there is no market for the products, basavaraj said. he said, the unpreceedented success of the exhibition in bangalore and the one here, have encouraged the board to carry forward their efforts to popularise khadi as a designer wear. the khadi fashion show organised at the town hall by the students of mangalore institute of fashion technology (mift), as part of the event played a supplementary role in bringing to the fore the possibility of khadi matching the modern trends, he added. while the total transaction in the bangalore khadi fair was put at about rs 3.38 crore, the average daily collection here was about rs 2 lakh, which is satisfactory, kalakeri said. he added that the board which, in the past functioned as just a funding body for khadi and other rural industries, presently emphasises on marketing as its thrust area.