Khadi weavers in the municipal town of Gondal in Rajkot, Gujarat, have received a shot in the arm with a repeat order of khadi denim by US fashion giant Patagonia.
In March, Patagonia through Indian textile major Arvind Mills placed an order for purchasing 17,050 metres of khadi denim fabric worth ₹8 million from Udyog Bharti, a Rajkot-based khadi institution.
The repeat order came after the successful completion of the previous order for 30,000 metres of khadi denim fabric worth ₹10.8 million. Patagonia is using handcrafted khadi denim fabric for making denim apparel.
The current order has its roots in an agreement signed by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) with Arvind Mills Limited in July 2017 to trade khadi denim products around the world.
Since then, Arvind Mills has been purchasing a large quantity of khadi denim fabric every year from KVIC-certified institutions of Gujarat. With the latest order, the total khadi denim purchase by Patagonia stands at 47,000 metres worth nearly ₹18.8 million.
KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena lauded the development saying the repeat order from Patagonia was a result of khadi denim's outstanding quality that matched all international standards. While supplying the order, special attention was given to maintaining the highest quality standards, uniformity of the product and timely supply of the fabric, he said. The previous order was executed in 12 months time as per the schedule.
The purchase of khadi denim fabrics has also created extra man hours for the weavers of Gujarat. In all, the purchase of khadi denim by Patagonia has created additional 3 lakh man hours of work.
Last year, a team from Patagonia visited Udyog Bharti, a khadi institution based in Gondal, Rajkot (Gujarat), to see the manufacturing process of khadi denim. Impressed by the manufacturing process and quality of the handcrafted fabrics, Patagonia, through Arvind Mills, placed the purchase orders for different quantities of khadi denim fabrics.
Before finalising the purchases, Patagonia appointed NEST, a US-based global third-party assessor, to assess the complete process of denim production at Gondal--spinning, weaving, carding, dying, wage payments, age-verification of workers, etc, involved in production line.
NEST, after thorough assessment of all parameters, stated in the certificate: "The spinning and handloom weaving operations are now eligible for the NEST Seal of Ethical Handicraft.”
This is for the first time that a khadi institution in India has been assessed and certified by an international independent assessor for meeting ethical standards in its operations, an official release said.
The order is for four types of denim fabric which is made of 100% cotton having a width from 28-inch to 34-inch.
