As part of its Gandhi Pravasa, a sustainable tourism initiative, Charaka, a women’s industrial cooperative society at Heggodu in Sagara taluk, is organising Gandhi Santhe at its work centre, Shramajeevi Ashrama, in the village on September 26 and 27.
Noted theatre personality and founder of Charaka, Prasanna, said at a press conference in Heggodu on Thursday that the society, known for evolving an alternative economic model in handloom production and marketing, chose to hold the event at its production centre to demonstrate that village industry need not remain merely a “Gandhian legacy” but can also be a profitable enterprise.
Charaka, which makes handloom fabric and garments, won the Best Brand Award instituted by the National Handloom Development Corporation this year. Mr. Prasanna said that in its four-decade-long journey, the society had made a profit every year except during a few initial years and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Natural colours
Mr. Prasanna said that through Gandhi Santhe, the society would put up stalls showcasing handloom products made by Charaka and others engaged in the village industry sector. It would also serve as a venue for B2B trade, where buyers and sellers would be invited to participate.
“With the help of local people around the workplace, we are offering good hospitality, local cuisine and cultural programmes for visitors. We are hopeful that this weekly Gandhi Santhe initiative will attract more people in the coming days,” he said.
Mr. Prasanna said Charaka was known for developing natural dyes through sustained research and development. “We have compost pits on our campus where we convert waste into organic manure, which will be sold in small packets in urban centres. Interestingly, we purchase cow dung from our society members at ₹15 a kg for the compost pits,” he said.
Profit
Terence Peter, CEO, said the society had grown steadily since it was started in 1994. With the objective of supporting rural livelihoods, the society had focused on generating employment opportunities for rural people rather than solely on profit-making. “We believe in sharing and distributing the profit. In the financial year 2025-26, the society recorded a turnover of ₹9.66 crore and a net profit of ₹5.19 lakh, after distributing a bonus of ₹30 lakh, apart from other benefits to artisans,” he said.
He said the society had impacted the lives of over 800 families across seven districts, including weavers settled in parts of north Karnataka. Nearly 85% of the workforce were women.
President of the society Mahalakshmi, secretary Ramesh, head of design department Padmashree were present at the press conference.
Published – September 18, 2026 08:03 pm IST
