Khadi, the great Indian fabric, is all set to be showcased in South Africa at an event to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela later this month.
The event to present the fabric will be choreographed by a South African fashion designer on April 30 during the concluding session of the two-day India-South Africa Business Summit as The Tribute to Mahatma and Madiba'' program for which Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has got its first overseas order of 175 gift boxes containing silk scarves.
Exhilarated on getting first overseas order worth Rs 2 lakh for the KVIC, its Chairman V K Saxena said that Khadi reaching South Africa means that world is moving in the direction of economic freedom.
"The
monetary value of this order might not be very big, but it is a big
morale gain for KVIC as it has caught the attention of the world famous fashion designer Gavin Rajah and the organizers as well.
"When Gandhiji reached South Africa, a war against apartheid and British rule was started. Now, much on the expectations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Khadi is
all set to bring economic freedom as the Ahimsa Silk'' would showcase
its piousness and economic feasibility in the land of Madiba (Nelson
Mandela), he said.
A press note released by the KVIC said that it had received a letter from the High Commissioner for India to provide different Khadi fabric, including silk and muslin in both embroidered and printed forms, for the summit.
According to this letter, the summit, with a tag line united by legacy, unified for prosperity'' seeks to showcase New India in South Africa, with the intent to double two-way bilateral trade and investment within a five year period.
This follows the vision set out by PM Narendra Modi and former South African President Jacob Juma, in the course of PM''s visit to South Africa in 2016, the letter said.
The
KVIC had immediately dispatched more than double length of the desired
fabric, which was delivered to them on March 24, 2018, the press note
said, adding Rajah was so satisfied with the quality of fabric that the
organizers later ordered to supply 175 Khadi gift boxes containing silk fabric worth approximately Rs 2 lakh.