Pariksha SaathiKhadi and Village Industries Sales Hit Record ₹1.87 Lakh Crore in 2025-26, Says Government Backgrounder
A PIB backgrounder released on 13 October 2026, during the month-long Khadi Mahotsav (held every year from 2 to 31 October), sets out how the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is turning traditional crafts into rural businesses. Sales of khadi and village industry products reached ₹1.87 lakh crore in 2025-26, the highest ever and about six times the 2013-14 level (a 501% rise), while production grew 380% to ₹1,25,296 crore and employment in the sector rose 56% to 2.04 crore. Artisans’ remuneration has gone up from ₹4 to ₹15 per hank (a hank being 840 yards of yarn). Women make up more than 80% of the roughly five lakh khadi artisans. KVIC runs 35 training centres, which trained 79,682 people in 2025-26. Through the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), routed via KVIC since March 2008, nearly 97.95 lakh people have found employment. Other schemes covered include the Gramodyog Vikas Yojana, which has handed out over 3.23 lakh machines and toolkits; the Khadi Vikas Yojana's market development assistance; credit for khadi institutions at a concessional 4% interest; and a workshed scheme for artisans.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
KVIC (Khadi and Village Industries Commission) is a statutory body, not a government department - it was established under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act, 1956, and functions under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME). Its mandate is to plan, promote and support khadi and village industries in rural areas.
Reference: Ministry of MSME's official website
Check yourself: is KVIC itself a ministry?
No - KVIC is a statutory body created by its own 1956 Act; it functions under the Ministry of MSME, which is a separate central ministry.
Revision task: note that this release describes KVIC's sales performance, not a new policy announcement - distinguish a performance update from an actual scheme or Act change.
Test yourself
According to the PIB backgrounder, sales of khadi and village industry products reached what record level in 2025-26?
Show the answer
Answer: ₹1.87 lakh crore
Sales hit ₹1.87 lakh crore in 2025-26, the highest ever and about six times the 2013-14 level; production grew to ₹1,25,296 crore and employment rose to 2.04 crore.
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