Khadi was in existence long before it became popular at the time of Swadeshi Movement - an era when Mahatma Gandhi was promoting locally made goods and insisted the Indians use items made in India instead of using machine made costly foreign items. During that time, due to lack of technologies in India, cheaper raw material was exported to England and then cloth was woven in Britain on machines and then re-imported to India at higher rates.

Before the introduction of power (electricity) in India, all textiles were made by hand operated machines manually. Human resources were quiet cheaper in India thereby, export of cheap hand-made textiles to England was being done. The easy availability of the main raw material, cotton for the farmers in India and their spinning & weaving by self, resulted in easy and cheap availability of Khadi. This also led to Khadi being called a "poor man's cloth".

Presently, there are different varieties of Khadi, which are exported all over the world from India. These varieties are specific to various Indian states and can be listed as under.

State

Type

Varieties

Items

West Bengal

Cotton

Shirting, Dress Materials

Muslin 300s, 400s & 500s metric count

Silk

Shirting, Dress Materials

Garad, Reeled Silk, Dyed and Printed Matka kete

Silk

Saree

Murshidabad Silk Sarees, Baluchari & Katha-Stich

Gujarat

Cotton

Shirting, Dress Materials

Kuchchi mirror work

Silk

Saree

Patola

Madhya Pradesh

Silk

Saree

Tassar, Chanderi

Assam

Cotton

Bed Spread, Thick Wrapper

Mooga Endi Laishampee

Silk

Saree, Shawl

 

Jammu And Kashmir

Wool

Shawl, Furnishing

Merino Embroidery & Pashmina Shawls / Namda

Himachal Pradesh

Wool

Shawl

Kulu Shawls

Punjab

Wool

Blanket/Hosiery/

Merino & Mix Merino Sweaters

Coating

Mix Merino Tweeds

Rajasthan

Cotton

Shirting

Upkar, Gavdha, Merino & Polyester

Wool

Suiting, Blankets

Wool, Merino & Mix Merino

Andhra Pradesh

Cotton

Shirting/Furnishings & Bed Spreads

Ponduru Fine, Muslin (DT) Kalamkari

Silk

Saree

Dharmavaram Silk, Pochampalli Tie & Dye Sarees

Tamil Nadu

Silk

Saree, Shirting

Kanjipuram /Polyester cotton blended

Karnataka

Cotton

Coating

DT Coating

Silk

Saree

Mysore Silk

Bihar

Silk

Dress Material

Tassar, Matka

Orissa

Silk

Saree

Bomkai, Sambalpur

Source: Khadi & Village Industries Commission

 

The present infrastructure set up of the Khadi sector in India speaks volumes about its importance in the Country's Economy.

 

Cotton, Silk, Wool & Muslin

Polyvastra*

Spindles installed

2.18 million

0.20 million

Yarn Produced

25.91 million kgs

1.45 million kgs

Looms installed

1,33,270 nos.

8,727 nos.

Employment

14.97 lakhs

0.46 lakh

Total Production

111.49 million sq.mtrs

10.05 million sq.mtrs

Sales

Rs.581.20 crores

Rs. 42.35 crores

Source: Khadi & Village Industries Commission


*Polyvastra is the handspun yarn and hand-woven cloth obtained by blending Polyester Staple Fiber (PSF) with other natural fibers.

Even after a long time, Khadi is still in fashion. As a new class of fashion designers are exposed to the versatility of this modest fabric, they are trying to make it India's fashion statement. In the modern fashion world, where brands have become the need of the hour, this home spun and hand woven fabrics are truly precious.

Now, designers are coming up with cloths that are made from Khadi and are recognized by celebrities, artists, tinsel town faces and politicians too. With time, a retiring fabric which was once known as poor man's cloth, has become so popular among the rich.