Project Title

"Strengthening the Karnataka State Khadi and Village Industries Board Brand through Integrated Product Mapping, Design Intervention, Product Diversi cation and Development, Training and Marketing Activities"

Brief Write-up:

The journey of Namma Khadi started with the vision and zeal of the Honorable Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri. Siddaramaiah, to restore the pride and position of Brand Karnataka Khadi.

The project aims to strengthen the KSK&VIB brand equity and increase brand recall value of Khadi products, by a strategic mix of continuously monitored Design intervention, Product development & diversification, and integrated marketing activities.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between NIFT and KSK&VIB on the 30th of Dec 2014 by Sh. P.K. Gera IAS (then Director-General, NIFT) and Sh. Raghuram, CEO, KSK&VIB. The signing was done in the august presence of Sh. Laxmanrao A. Chingale, Chairman, KSK&VIB and under the mentorship of Sh. Tushar Girinath IAS, the then Secretary-Industry and Commerce. This project consists of three phases, we are on the verge of successfully completing the first phase of the project.

A detailed baseline survey and diagnostic was conducted between the months of April 2015 to July 2015, and the report document was presented to KSK&VIB in the month of August 2015, which identified the strengths and weaknesses, environment that the cluster operates in and what strategic steps need to be undertaken for effective output. The diagnostic study was compiled into a report with the detailed SWOT analysis for each cluster.

Based on the recommendation of the diagnostic study, a panel of experts from NIFT Bengaluru provided a comprehensive list of products that may be developed for the current market. The NIFT Bengaluru team designed more than 400 products for the review, much more than the mandated 300 products. These were reviewed in the presence of Chairman, KSK&VIB and many artisans and the most viable products were selected for imparting training to the artisans.

The Products developed during phase-1 was unveiled, in conjunction with the NIFT Graduation show, 2016. We at NIFT Bengaluru have had an uplifting experience during the first phase of this project. The feedback from the stakeholders of this business has been very encouraging. We look forward to taking the endeavor into the next phase of the project and are hopeful that with the co-operation and the partnership of KSK&VIB, we would be able to position Brand Khadi effectively for the contemporary market at not only national level but also international level.