Union Minister for MSME approved the Khadi Agarbatti Atmanirbhar Mission proposed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission(KVIC).
This is an employment generation program where the idea is to make India atmanirbhar (self-reliant) in Agarbatti production.

The mission aims at creating employment generation programmes for the unemployed and migrant workers in different parts of the country to increase the local agarbatti production substantially.

The scheme would be operated on a PPP model where KVIC would provide the agarbatti machines and powder mixing machines to the workers through efficacious private agarbatti manufacturers. They would sign the deal as business associates.

KVIC has decided to acquire only locally made machines by Indian manufacturers which would also enhance the local product consumption.

KVIC would provide a 25% subsidy on the cost of machines and would recover the remaining expenditures from the artisans in comfortable installments every month.

The business partners would provide the raw material every month and would also pay them wages accordingly on a work basis. The cost of artisans training would be shared between KVIC and the private business partner wherein the KVIC would bear 75% of the value while the business partner will pay 25%.

Each agarbatti machine would manufacture 80Kg agarbatti each day which would provide immediate occupation to 4 people. One powder mixing machine would be given on a set of 5 agarbatti making machines which would generate trade to 2 persons.

The supply of raw material to the workers, logistics, control in quality, and marketing of the final product would be the sole responsibility of the business partner. The program focuses on reassuring artisans and supporting the local agarbatti industry. The current consumption of agarbatti in the country is 1490 MT per day.

However, India’s per day production of agarbatti is approximately 760MT whereas there is a huge graph between the demand and its supply; hence, it is expected to create a gigantic scope for job creation.

Written By- Mousami Jena

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