The Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) minister Nitin Gadkari has recently declared himself the Brand Ambassador of Khadi Prakritk Paint and said he would to promote and encourage young entrepreneurs to take up the manufacturing of cow dung paint, across the country.

The minister virtually inaugurated the new automated manufacturing unit of Khadi Prakritik Paint, India's first and only paint made from cow dung, in Jaipur recently. 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.

Gadkari also appreciated Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), the body behind 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.

On this occasion, Gadkari also placed an order for 1000 liters of Khadi Prakritik Paint (500 liters 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 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 liters which will go up to 1000 liters per day. KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said the new plant is equipped with modern technology and machinery that will also ensure 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. Available in two variants- distemper and emulsion, Khadi Prakritik Paint contains ‘AshtaLaabh’; i.e. the eight benefits like anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and natural thermal insulation properties. This paint is eco-friendly, non-toxic, odorless and cost-effective.