Gadkari 'brand ambassador' of Khadi Prakritk to promote paint made from cow dung

Road Transport and Highways and MSME Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday declared that he is "brand ambassador '' of Khadi Prakritk Paint and noted that he would promote it across the country so as to encourage young entrepreneurs to take up the manufacturing of cow dung paint.

Virtually inaugurating the new automated manufacturing unit of Khadi Prakritik Paint, India's first and only paint made from cow dung, in Jaipur, the minister appreciated the technology innovation and said this would go a long way in empowering the rural and agro-based economy in the country.

According to an official release, Gadkari said inaugurating infrastructure projects worth lakhs of crores of rupees is not as pleasing and satisfying as inaugurating this manufacturing unit.

He lauded Khadi and Village Industries Commission for the successful research.

He said Khadi Prakritik Paint has immense potential of creating sustainable development for benefit of the poorest of the poor and the target should be setting up a Parkritik Paint unit in each and every village.

Gadkari also placed an order for 1000 litres of Khadi Prakritik Paint (500 litres each of distemper and emulsion) which he intends to use at his residence in Nagpur.

The new plant has been set up on the campus of Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute (KNHPI), Jaipur, which is a unit of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).

Earlier Prakritik Paint was being manufactured manually on a prototype project.

"Commissioning of the new manufacturing unit will double the production capacity of Prakritik Paint. At present the daily production of Prakritik Paint is 500 litres which will go up to 1,000 litres per day," the release said.

KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said the new plant is equipped with modern technology and machinery that will also ensure the highest standards of the product in terms of quality and uniformity.

Khadi Prakritik Paint was launched by Gadkari on January 12, 2021.

The paint has been launched with the twin objectives of increasing farmers' income and creating self-employment across the country.

To enable maximum people to benefit from this innovation, KVIC has included this project under the Prime Minister Employment Generation Program (PMEGP), a flagship scheme of the central government for employment generation.

The release said that the paint is available in two variants - distemper and emulsion, and contains "AshtaLaabh" - eight benefits like anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and natural thermal insulation properties. The paint is eco-friendly, non-toxic, odourless and cost-effective, the release said.

( With inputs from ANI )