Though the country's famous Khadi Gram Udyog chain has grown in terms of products and designs in the recent years, a massive makeover is in the offing with the National Institute of Design stepping in to provide professional help.
This week, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) signed a memorandum of understanding with the design institute, which will provide the swadeshi promoting organisation with faculty and student support to smarten up its range of merchandise.
The help will be given by NID in four major areas to make the difference – product design, branding, packaging and retail. The agreement entails the two entities working together for a long length of time through an interdisciplinary team on design related projects for the khadi and village industry sector. Towards this end the two have set up what has been christened a Design Innovation Centre at NID in Ahmedabad.
“The areas of thrust shall be in need assessment, product development, technology up-gradation, developing standardisation and quality assurance norms, packaging design and promotional strategies for khadi and village industry products,” said an NID spokesperson.
KVIC has been given assistance earlier under the Khadi Reform and Development Programme where the Asian Development Bank had extended $ 150 million to modernise the organisation.
The aim was to position the organisation such that it could face market competition and simultaneously enhance the revenues of its village artisan.
News Source: The Hindu