It was a breezy February morning. Shantanu Das and I were driving out of Kolkata towards Sonarundi. The sky was briefly lit in palash phool hues before turning flat and pale. Shantanu had promised to show me why hand-spun, hand-woven khadi was losing momentum in Bengal’s weaving clusters.
Strangely, khadi’s decline in rural practice is equal and opposite to its rise in urban policy and promotion. Over the past two decades, while actual weaving centres hollowed out, the Indian government doubled down on efforts to contemporise khadi. KVIC stores reported record annual turnovers. Artisan registration under khadi institutes led by MSME hit an eight-decade high. Artisan wages had improved. Design upgrades to the Ambar Charkha – including solar-powered innovations developed by IITs – deserved applause.
And yet, every attempt to stylise khadi for youth appeal or modern fashion sensibilities has fallen short. Designer-led branding efforts received press but showed no staying power. The clothes often looked derivative, some indistinguishable from mill-made textiles.
Even a quick walk through Khadi India’s central store in the Regal Building in Delhi’s Connaught Place makes this gap visible. On one end: the highest-grade khadi, priced at Rs 3,000 per metre. On the other: “trendy” ready-to-wear apparel that mimics Indian…
Source: Why attempts to stylise khadi for youth appeal or modern fashion sensibilities have fallen short
