New Delhi, May 26 (IANS) The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has reported record growth in production, sales and employment over the past 12 years, with total sales rising 501 per cent to Rs 1.87 lakh crore in the financial year 2025-26, according to provisional data released on Tuesday.

Releasing the data, KVIC Chairman Manoj Kumar said the commission has achieved new milestones across key performance indicators, reflecting strong rural economic expansion.

In addition, the sector registered strong gains in production, which increased 380 per cent to Rs 1.25 lakh crore during the same period, compared to Rs 26,109 crore in 2013-14.

However, employment in khadi and village industries rose 56 per cent to 2.04 crore in 2025-26 from 1.30 crore in 2013-14, the data showed.

He said that in FY25, sales rose 447 per cent and production 347 per cent over 2013-14 levels, while in FY24, sales were up 400 per cent and production 315 per cent compared to the base year.

According to him, the strong performance is not only contributing to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 but is also helping position India among the world’s leading economies.

The chairman attributed the growth to the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi and the efforts of millions of rural artisans.

Moreover, production of khadi and village industry products rose nearly five-fold from Rs 26,109 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 1.25 lakh crore in 2025-26, while sales surged nearly six-fold from Rs 31,154 crore, the highest level so far.

Khadi textiles witnessed significant growth, with production rising nearly 390 per cent to Rs 3,974 crore, while sales surged 628 per cent to Rs 7,869 crore during the period under review.

Employment generation has remained a key driver of growth, with nearly 1.99 crore people engaged in village industries and overall employment across industries rising to 2.04 crore.

Similarly, the sector has seen significant women’s participation, with accounting for nearly 59 per cent of trainees and over 28,000 women entrepreneurs establishing units under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) in 2025-26.

–IANS

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