[Financial Express]Khadi masks’ popularity soars! KVIC gets repeat order for 10.5 lakh face masks worth Rs 3.3 crore

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has received a repeat order and the biggest order so far for the supply of 10.5 lakh high-quality face masks to the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises said in a statement today. The new purchase order comes less than a month after its previous order for 1.80 lakh face masks out of which KVIC has already supplied 1.60 lakh face masks to the Society, it added.

The new purchase order worth Rs 3.30 crore was received recently and the supply will begin this week only, the ministry said. KVIC will complete the supply of the first order in a couple of days. The face masks will be similar to the ones being supplied as per the first order.

Lauding the efforts of KVIC in creating sustainable employment in the country through mask-making activities, Union Minister for MSME Nitin Gadkari said while face masks became the most effective protective gear against the Coronavirus disease; its production created large-scale employment for the artisans.

The new mask order from Red Cross Society will create nearly 50,000 additional man-days for Khadi artisans. The execution of this order will require over 1 lakh meters of handmade cotton Khadi fabric which will be supplied by various Khadi institutions from different States. This will give an impetus to the spinning and weaving activities and thus create employment for the artisans.

KVIC Chairman, Vinai Kumar Saxena said, “Charkha is the tool of economic freedom. Such big orders during these difficult times will ensure that spinning and weaving activities keep going on and bringing economic sustainability to our Khadi artisans.

This is the biggest order for the supply of Khadi face masks received by KVIC so far. Earlier, the Jammu and Kashmir government had purchased 7 lakh masks during the lockdown. KVIC has also received repeat orders from Rashtrapati Bhavan, Prime Minister’s Office, Central Government ministries and orders from general public through KVIC’s E-portal.

KVIC: IRCS mask features

The IRCS masks are made of 100% double-twisted handcrafted cotton fabric in brown colour with red piping. KVIC has especially designed these double-layered cotton masks for the Indian Red Cross Society as per the samples provided by them. The masks have a suitably printed IRCS logo on the left side and the Khadi India tag on the right side. Like other Khadi face masks, the masks made for IRCS are also washable, reusable, skin-friendly and biodegradable.