Khadi grows its e-market portal into a full-fledged portal
10 Sep 2020
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KVIC e-portal, Khadi and Village Industry Commission’s (KVIC) online marketing venture has quickly established a pan-India reach enabling artisans sell their products to the remotest parts of India online.
The online sale that was launched with Khadi face masks (www.kviconline.gov.in/khadimask/) on July 7 has evolved into a full-fledged e-market platform with 180 products as of today with many more in the pipeline.
As per KVIC, the product range includes hand-spun and hand-woven fine fabric 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. 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 1,000 products by 2 October this year. In less than two months’ time, KVIC has served nearly 4,000 customers.
KVIC chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said the online sale of Khadi products is a big push to “Swadeshi” and the aim is to empower 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 Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” Saxena said, adding the product range is priced from Rs50 to Rs5,000, keeping in view 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 far-flung areas of the country, 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 the same at his doorsteps.
KVIC receives 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. KVIC has fixed the minimum order value at Rs599 for free delivery of goods. It has entered into an agreement with the Postal Department for delivery of consignments via Speed Post.
According to KVIC, it has 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 Rs20 crore on website development and maintenance.
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.
