The Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha (KKGSS) is a manufacturing federation located in
Garag
Garag is a village in the northern part of Karnataka of India. India.Village code= 649900 Garag, Dharwad, Karnataka It is located in the Dharwad taluk of Dharwad district in Karnataka.
Demographics
As of the 2011 Census of India there were ...
village near
Dharwad City and also its headquarters in Bengeri of Hubli City in
Dharwad
Dharwad (), also known as Dharwar, is a city located in the north western part of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of the Dharwad district of Karnataka and forms a contiguous urban area with the city of Hubballi. It was merge ...
district,
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. It is the only unit in India that is authorised to manufacture and supply the
Indian flag
The national flag of India, colloquially called the tricolour, is a horizontal rectangular tricolour flag of India saffron, white and India green; with the ', a 24-spoke wheel, in navy blue at its centre. It was adopted in its present form ...
.
History
KKGSS was founded on 1 November 1957 with the goal of creating a federation that catered to the need for growth of
khadi
Khadi (, ), derived from khaddar, is a hand-spun and woven natural fibre cloth promoted by Mahatma Gandhi as ''swadeshi'' (self-sufficiency) for the freedom struggle of the Indian subcontinent, and the term is used throughout India, Pakistan ...
and other village industries.
Another aim of the federation was to provide employment opportunities to the rural youth in these sectors. About 58 institutions around the state were brought under the aegis of this federation. The head office is located in
Hubli
Hubli, officially known as Hubballi, is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. The twin cities Hubli–Dharwad form the second largest city in the state by area and population and the largest city in North Karnataka. Hubli is in Dharwad distr ...
and is spread over an area of of land. The production of
khadi
Khadi (, ), derived from khaddar, is a hand-spun and woven natural fibre cloth promoted by Mahatma Gandhi as ''swadeshi'' (self-sufficiency) for the freedom struggle of the Indian subcontinent, and the term is used throughout India, Pakistan ...
began in the year 1982.
A training college to train students in textile
chemistry is also run by this federation. The goal of this college is to produce technicians who will improve the quality of fabrics. All government officials buy the Indian flags from them.
Production
The main product of the KKGSS is the
Indian flag
The national flag of India, colloquially called the tricolour, is a horizontal rectangular tricolour flag of India saffron, white and India green; with the ', a 24-spoke wheel, in navy blue at its centre. It was adopted in its present form ...
. Apart from this, it also manufactures
khadi
Khadi (, ), derived from khaddar, is a hand-spun and woven natural fibre cloth promoted by Mahatma Gandhi as ''swadeshi'' (self-sufficiency) for the freedom struggle of the Indian subcontinent, and the term is used throughout India, Pakistan ...
clothes,
khadi
Khadi (, ), derived from khaddar, is a hand-spun and woven natural fibre cloth promoted by Mahatma Gandhi as ''swadeshi'' (self-sufficiency) for the freedom struggle of the Indian subcontinent, and the term is used throughout India, Pakistan ...
carpets,
khadi
Khadi (, ), derived from khaddar, is a hand-spun and woven natural fibre cloth promoted by Mahatma Gandhi as ''swadeshi'' (self-sufficiency) for the freedom struggle of the Indian subcontinent, and the term is used throughout India, Pakistan ...
bags,
khadi
Khadi (, ), derived from khaddar, is a hand-spun and woven natural fibre cloth promoted by Mahatma Gandhi as ''swadeshi'' (self-sufficiency) for the freedom struggle of the Indian subcontinent, and the term is used throughout India, Pakistan ...
caps,
khadi
Khadi (, ), derived from khaddar, is a hand-spun and woven natural fibre cloth promoted by Mahatma Gandhi as ''swadeshi'' (self-sufficiency) for the freedom struggle of the Indian subcontinent, and the term is used throughout India, Pakistan ...
bedsheets, soaps, handmade paper and processed honey.
KKGSS also manufactures tools needed for carpentry, dyeing and blacksmithy and also has a
naturopathy
Naturopathy, or naturopathic medicine, is a form of alternative medicine. A wide array of pseudoscientific practices branded as "natural", "non-invasive", or promoting "self-healing" are employed by its practitioners, who are known as natur ...
hospital in its premises. Earlier the flags were not manufactured according to the
BIS guidelines. The unit became unique as a manufacturing center for National flag, when on 18 February 2004, it was accredited with
ISI certification, along with the authorization to sell the National Flag throughout the country. Currently, the flags are manufactured in accordance with the BIS guidelines, i.e. the national flag “should be made of hand-spun and handwoven cotton khadi bunting.”
Indian flag
The flag is manufactured by the khadi unit of KKGSS.
The
Khadi and Village Industries Commission
The Khadii and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body formed in April 1957 by the Government of India, under the Act of Parliament, 'Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956'. It is an apex organisation under the ...
has certified KKGSS as the sole manufacturer and supplier of the
Indian flag
The national flag of India, colloquially called the tricolour, is a horizontal rectangular tricolour flag of India saffron, white and India green; with the ', a 24-spoke wheel, in navy blue at its centre. It was adopted in its present form ...
to the entire country. There are 100 specialist spinners and 100 weavers employed in making the flag.
The cloth needed for the flag is sourced from KKGSS's unit in
Bagalkot and divided into three lots, each of the lots to be dyed with one of the three major colors in the
Indian flag
The national flag of India, colloquially called the tricolour, is a horizontal rectangular tricolour flag of India saffron, white and India green; with the ', a 24-spoke wheel, in navy blue at its centre. It was adopted in its present form ...
. After dyeing, the cloth is cut in the required size and shape and the blue
chakra (wheel) with 24 equally spaced spokes is printed on the white cloth. Finally, the three pieces are stitched together to make the
Indian flag
The national flag of India, colloquially called the tricolour, is a horizontal rectangular tricolour flag of India saffron, white and India green; with the ', a 24-spoke wheel, in navy blue at its centre. It was adopted in its present form ...
.
About 60 Japanese
sewing machines are used to maintain precision while stitching. Some of the critical confirmation criteria include that the width and length of the entire flag should be in the ratio 3:2 and that the ''chakra'' needs to be printed on both the sides of the flag with both of these prints perfectly matched, like two hands joined palm to palm. Each lot shipped is subjected to an inspection by BIS and any issue with a single flag could result in the whole lot being rejected. The flags are manufactured in nine sizes, with the smallest one being 6 × 4 inches (150 X 100 mm) and the biggest one being 21 X 14 feet (6300 X 4200 mm).
Business
KKGSS's annual turnover is about 15 million ($375,000).
The major customers of KKGSS are politicians and people associated with politics. This is because Khadi symbolised
self-reliance
"Self-Reliance" is an 1841 essay written by American transcendentalist philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. It contains the most thorough statement of one of Emerson's recurrent themes: the need for each individual to avoid conformity and false con ...
during the Indian independence movement and was worn by
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
and other leaders. In the year 2007, KKGSS has sold flags worth 6 million ($150,000).
Notes
{{reflist
External links
Official website of KKGGS
Organisations based in Karnataka
Organizations established in 1957
1957 establishments in Mysore State