Revive Badanavalu Khadi Centre as model rural industry rooted in Gandhian principles: Report

With the ₹40 crore boost cleared by the Karnataka Cabinet, a group of Gandhians has called for revitalising the historic Badanavalu Khadi Centre in Nanjangud taluk into a model of sustainable rural industry rooted in Gandhian principles.

The recommendation comes months after the State Cabinet, during a meeting held at Malai Mahadeshwara Hills near Mysuru in April 2025, gave its nod for the financial assistance. The allocation follows a promise made during Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the Khadi centre on Gandhi Jayanti Day in 2022 during his Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Subsequently, the Karnataka Khadi Board sought a report from a group of Gandhians on the roadmap for the Badanavalu Khadi’s Centre’s revival. The report by Prasanna from Gram Seva Sangh, Jayadev from Deena Bandhu Ashram, Chamarajanagar, and Professor Shivraj from Gandhi Bhavan, Bengaluru — all are recipients of the prestigious Mahatma Gandhi Seva Puraskar — was submitted to D.R. Patil, Chairperson of the Decentralization Committee of Government of Karnataka, during his visit to Badanavalu recently, in the presence of Nanjangud MLA Dhruvanarayan.

While making a note that the khadi centre is currently plagued by ‘poor management’ with spinning activity halted due to lack of raw material and workers going unpaid for months, the report recalls how the Badanavalu Centre, established by local Gandhians on the advice of the Mahatma during the pre-independence period, was a ‘beacon of light’ for the entire region. The centre not only produced khadi that was exported to England, but had also diversified into village industries, like cold-pressed oil, hand-made paper, candles, match-boxes, and other natural products.

While arguing for reintroduction of the village industry products to improve profitability, the Gandhians said the diversification into non-khadi products should take place gradually in a phased manner.

Rain-shadow zone

The region surrounding Badanavalu, unlike irrigated areas elsewhere, falls under a rain-shadow zone, where agriculture alone cannot sustain livelihood due to erratic rainfall and groundwater depletion, leading to migration towards cities.

Hence, the village industries, particularly khadi and related activities, should supplement agricultural income and stabilise the rural economy, the report stated, while emphasising the complementary role of cottage industries to make Badanavalu relevant.

As Gandhian principles also seek to engage an underutilised workforce, particularly women and elderly more than the able-bodied males for labour, the khadi and village industry model helps involve women in productivity and economic activity even while they stay close to home.

The report stresses that the heritage value of the centre, whose ‘beauty and dignity lies in its utter simplicity and naturalness’, must be preserved.

Another important shift recommended in the report is the positioning of khadi as a ‘premium, authentic and sustainable product’ rather than competing with cheap imitations. “Proudly declare Badanavalu Khadi as a pure product,” the report recommends, pointing out that the authenticity of hand spinning, hand weaving, fibre, organic dyes all can be ‘brand values’, and people are now willing to pay more for purity.

“During our study of the centre, we realised three things,” the Gandhians stated. They pointed out that quality of the product needs improvement while the product design too needs attention, but felt that the biggest gap lies in marketing and brand building.

Cluster approach

A major recommendation is to adopt a cluster development approach, linking Badanavalu with nearby weaving and spinning centres, such as Tagadur and other production villages. “The combined heritage value should then be built into the khadi product, and projected as brand value,” the report stated.

Instead of fragmented operations, a coordinated cluster would allow shared infrastructure, training, marketing support, and management expertise, the Gandhians felt.

The report calls for making use of the Gandhi Bhavans in all the districts, that are lying unused, to either set up production or sales counters for khadi and village industry products.

Published – March 07, 2026 04:14 pm IST