KHADI AND SDGs: EXPLORING ITS POTENTIAL ROLE IN ACHIEVING INDIA'S DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Khadi, the national fabric of India, played an impactful role during the freedom struggle, symbolising India’s potential for self-sustenance. Since Independence, despite the growth in production and sales, the sector is underperforming in varied dimensions in comparison to the other textile producers. On the other hand, India, as a developing country has been aspiring to be a front-runner in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ranging from poverty alleviation, gender equality to conserving the environment and, nurturing global partnerships. Using secondary data sources, this paper explores how the expansion of Indian Khadi sector can directly contribute to 10 out of 17 SDGs, and examines the Goal-specific challenges faced by the Khadi artisans and industries in the national arena. By aligning Khadi with SDGs, the paper highlights India’s potential to attain the global development goals through promotion of its indigenous industries. Keywords: Khadi, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Rural Employment, women empowerment, Sustainability