The Hindu Business Line : From beedis to textiles

THESE women did not know any other work than rolling beedis till a year ago. But now, the products they manufacture — namely the "Shramik" and "Quo Vadis" brands of shirts — are competing with any other brands in the market.

Affected by lack of jobs in beedi industry, nearly 60 women members of self-help groups (SHGs) availed of Rs 11 lakh under the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojna (SGSY) special project for setting up a garment-manufacturing unit. The Radhakrishna garment unit, which has been set up by Sri Dharmasthala Siri Gramodyoga Samsthe, has come up on a 2,600 sq ft of area at Savanalu in Belthangady taluk. Siri Gramodyoga Samsthe is a subsidiary of Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP).

The Executive Director of Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP), Dr L.H. Manjunath, told Business Line that the Radhakrishna garment unit has all equipment needed for the manufacture of quality shirts.

Since no SHG member had any knowledge about the garment production, the Samsthe took the services of a master consultant. The person trained them in various aspects of shirt production. The real production of shirts began four months after the establishment of the unit, he said. At present, the unit manufactures nearly 300 shirts a day.

Considering the needs of common man, mainly farmers, the Dharmadhikari of Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala, Dr D. Veerendra Heggade, designed "Shramik" brand of shirt, which is a combination of a T-shirt and a kurta, he said. Prices of the shirts range from Rs 55 to Rs 350.

Asked about the market for the product, Dr Manjunath said these shirts are in a good demand in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. At present, the product is being marketed through 15,000 SHGs of SKDRDP. He said the Siri Gramodyoga Samsthe is also looking for organised selling through various outlets.

He said that every woman at the garment-manufacturing unit earns at least Rs 75 a day. After deducting the cost of maintenance and raw materials, each member gets Rs 15 on a shirt, he added.

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