Vijayawada: From October 2, Khadi fairs will be organized across all districts of Andhra Pradesh for 90 days, with 100 stalls in each location. The initiative, announced by BJP state president P V N Madhav on Wednesday, said it aims to revive the spirit of the “Swadeshi movement” by promoting Khadi, handicrafts, and local products. Major fairs will be held in Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Vijayawada, and Tirupati. Chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu will inaugurate the event in Vijayawada.Madhav said the programme aligns with the Union govt’s Atmanirbhar Bharat mission, part of the vision for Viksit Bharat 2047. He recalled that Khadi played a symbolic role in the freedom struggle and stressed the importance of supporting local production to reduce dependence on imports.He pointed to measures introduced since 2014, including the Make in India initiative and reforms to improve the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), which provided a boost to domestic industries. Cottage and small-scale enterprises, he noted, had been given special support, while India’s production of COVID-19 vaccines and their supply to other nations highlighted the country’s growing manufacturing capacity.The upcoming fairs will feature handloom, handicrafts, and regionally produced items to provide direct support to artisans and small industries. Leaders of the BJP-led alliance will attend key events, while exhibitions in all districts will run for three months.Madhav urged citizens to prefer indigenous products over foreign ones, saying the initiative is designed to strengthen local economies and generate awareness about the role of Swadeshi goods in national progress.
