ENTREPRENEUR SPEAK
WHILE THE INDUSTRY IS FACING
WORKFORCE SHORTAGES,
WE ARE IN A COMFORTABLE
POSITION, AND EMPLOYEES
WANT TO STICK AROUND.
importance on getting everything right—right from
their dormitories to kitchen and food.
Our initial investment in workers’ conditions has
paid off in a number of ways. While the industry,
as a whole, is facing workforce shortages, we are
in a comfortable position, and employees want to
stick around. Our efficiency is around 30 per cent
more than the global efficiency in this sector. We
take full responsibility for our employees’ safety,
health, and wellbeing, and provide them with the
best of facilities.
LET US IN ON YOUR PET PROJECT,
TWENTY20 KIZHAKKAMBALAM.
My brother and I envisioned Kizhakkambalam as
the smartest and best governed village by 2020.
We called this aim ‘Twenty20 Kizhakkambalam’.
It is a nonpolitical outfit that has transformed
the locality into India’s first model village. In 2015,
we contested the local body elections in the
Kizhakkambalam Panchayat. Twenty20 is mainly
focused on food and nutrition security, education,
housing for all, healthcare, mother-care, childcare,
roads and infrastructure, drinking water, farming,
and groundwater conservation.
As a part of Twenty20, we have developed
a food security bazaar, which sells vegetables,
groceries, food items, and other essential
requirements at a price which is 50 per cent
less than the market price, even during festive
seasons. We do this by promoting farming in
the village and procuring the produce directly
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June 2019
from farmers at a fair price without involving
middlemen. Twenty20 has the ‘Ente Veedu’ (My
Home) scheme, which has been instrumental
in the construction of about 300 houses, and
renovation of 800 houses for the needy. These
contemporary-looking, houses sprawl across
750 square feet, and include two bedrooms, a
hall, and a kitchen. Each house is furnished with
basic kitchen accessories and facilities such as
European toilets, a sink, light, and water. We will
also provide a home accessories scheme, which
will enable people to buy household products
worth R2–4 lakh, at 50 per cent off the initial cost.
The company also aims to construct 5,200 wells
by 2020.
Against the mandatory spend of two per cent
of the company’s net profit on CSR (Corporate
Social Responsibility), Kitex has been spending
more than 6 per cent of its net profits for
Kizhakkambalam. During 2016–17, the company
spent over R6 crore.
WHAT IS ON THE CARDS FOR KITEX?
By 2025, we are aiming to produce 22 lakh
pieces of kids’ garments per day, which are
aimed at exports alone. By 2022, we are hoping
to achieve 60–70 per cent of our target, whilst
doubling our production. As of now, we produce
six lakh pieces per day and by 2020, it will rise
to 1.1 million at a cost outlay of R500 crore.
Consecutively, we are evaluating expansion
into Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.