Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said Khadi is fast emerging as a new and lucrative start-up avenue, giving full credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for having popularized the fabric across the world.

"Today, Khadi garments and outfits have assumed the status of designer items and elite wear. Modi has popularised Khadi across the world with the mantra of Khadi for nation, Khadi for fashion and Khadi for transformation," the minister of state in the prime minister's office said.

Singh was addressing a North Zone level programme organised by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district, wherein subsidy margin amount of more than Rs 100 Crore was distributed online to beneficiaries and entrepreneurs spread across the north Indian states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan and Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.

The programme was organised under the supervision of KVIC Chairman Manoj Kumar who underscored the recent decision to increase the wages from Rs 7.50 per hank to Rs 10 per hank, which will lead to rise in the monthly income of artisans by around 33 per cent and 10 per cent increase in the wages of weavers.

The minister expressed disappointment that while the Start-up movement had picked up in other parts of the country, it was yet to pick up in this region.

"The worth of Khadi for entrepreneurship and industry is being realised more and more," he said and recalled that Prime Minister through his radio broadcast "Mann Ki Baat" had appealed on several occasions to buy khadi, as a result of which now there has been a record sale of Khadi products and also manifold increase in export of Khadi.

In order to build a prosperous, strong and self-reliant nation, the minister motivated the beneficiaries for running their units successfully and said that this would motivate other youth also to give up the desperate struggle to secure a government job and instead go for more lucrative livelihood options.

The KVIC chairman said the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme is playing a crucial role in realising the dream of a self-reliant India.

"Khadi and Village Industries Commission through its various programmes are generating employment opportunities for artisans at their door steps in remote areas at very low cost," he said.

-With PTI Input