ABFRL partners with KVIC to sell Khadi products

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL) has joined hands  with the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) to launch a new line of Khadi products under the brand, Peter England.

Under the partnership, Peter England has agreed for a guaranteed minimum procurement of khadi and khadi products for a period of five years with primary purchases of muslin cotton and silk.

V.K. Saxena, Chairman, KVIC, said, "Khadi, the heritage fabric of India which was discovered and promoted by none other than Mahatma Gandhi, has grown with passage of time and has come to become a major job provider in rural areas at a very low cost capital investment.  Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given a major boost to Khadi Programme by regularly appealing to the countrymen to buy Khadi and support rural artisans.  This has created a great demand for Khadi and I am happy to inform that the Khadi and Village Industries sale has crossed Rs.50,000 Crore mark during 2016-17. The KVIC - Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. convergence is a major initiative to bring Khadi into the branded garments market in a big way with better designs, colours, and style to cater to the youth segment and the high end market. This convergence will provide around 2 lakhs man hours to the Khadi artisans and will definitely bring in much needed professional input in Khadi readymades."

As a part of this association, Peter England will also bring in the design interventions at khadi manufacturing clusters across the country along with providing technical expertise.

Ashish Dikshit, Business Head, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail said, "Our partnership with Khadi & Village Industries Commission is a testimony of our commitment towards innovative and sustainable fashion. Reckoned as ‘Fabric of the Nation’, Khadi is a symbol of self – sufficiency, a versatile fabric that is trendy, with high-fashion appeal in its pure, rustic form. Authentic, Indian products resonate strongly with the Indian consumers and there is an increasing demand for hand-made fabric, that stays true to its roots and exudes simplicity and vogue at the same time. Through our partnership with KVIC, we aim to bring the rich Indian heritage of hand-woven fabric closer to our discerning consumers."

The company said the new label will be available at Peter England stores across the country and KVIC outlets besides leading ecommerce portals.