New Delhi: With the formation of the Modi Government for the third time at the Center, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, has accelerated the pace of delivering government schemes to beneficiaries. On Monday, KVIC Chairman Manoj Kumar distributed a margin money subsidy of ₹299.25 crore to 7,444 units across the country under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) via video conference. This initiative has led to the creation of 81,884 new jobs nationwide.
In a statement, Chairman KVIC congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on behalf of the ‘Khadi Parivar’ for becoming the Prime Minister for the third time. He emphasized that the swift distribution of ₹299.25 crore directly into the beneficiaries’ accounts by KVIC, just one day after the swearing-in ceremony, signifies the government’s commitment to expedite the delivery of schemes under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership.
Manoj Kumar highlighted that, aligned with Prime Minister Modi’s vision of achieving a ‘Developed India’ by 2047, KVIC is intensifying efforts to strengthen the ‘Khadi Gram Swaraj Abhiyan’ in every village. Plans are underway to elevate Khadi from local to global levels. The PMEGP is also being expanded to enhance the quality and reach of village industry products. In this context, KVIC has disbursed ₹299.25 crore online to 7,444 beneficiaries across its six zones. This includes ₹75.17 crore to 2,017 beneficiaries in the Central Zone, ₹22.92 crore to 763 beneficiaries in the Eastern Zone, ₹91.78 crore to 2,477 beneficiaries in the North Zone, ₹9.2 crore to 223 beneficiaries in the Northeast Zone, ₹72.97 crore to 1,539 beneficiaries in the South Zone, and ₹27.13 crore to 425 beneficiaries in the West Zone. These allocations have resulted in the creation of 22,187 jobs in the Central Zone, 8,393 jobs in the Eastern Zone, 27,247 jobs in the North Zone, 2,453 jobs in the Northeast Zone, 16,929 jobs in the South Zone, and 4,675 jobs in the West Zone.
Chairman Kumar further elaborated that over the past 10 years, KVIC has run various schemes to provide employment to the unemployed, with PMEGP spearheading revolutionary initiatives in setting up cottage industries. The entire process, from application to subsidy issuance, is conducted online. Since the inception of PMEGP, 9.40 lakh new projects have been established, providing employment to over 81.48 lakh individuals. Up to the last financial year, the Government of India has distributed over ₹24,520.19 crore in margin money subsidies. Notably, 52% of units have been approved for SC/ST category and women, with 80% of PMEGP units in rural areas and 20% in urban areas. About 67% of PMEGP units are in the manufacturing sector and 33% in the service sector. General category candidates receive a grant of 15% to 25%, while reserved category candidates receive 25% to 35% from the Government of India.
Manoj Kumar emphasized that under the Modi Government’s assurance, Khadi and Village Industry products have gained global popularity. Over the past decade, ‘New Khadi of New India’ has significantly contributed to the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’, resulting in a more than fourfold increase in Khadi product sales. This surge in production and sales has economically uplifted rural artisans, with a 233% increase in artisans’ remuneration over the last decade, attracting more artisans to Khadi work. The ‘Vocal for Local’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives have also made Khadi popular among the youth.
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