Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena is the Chairman of Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC), an Organization under the Ministry of Medium, Small and Micro Enterprise, Govt. of India responsible for generating employment opportunities in rural areas through implementing Khadi & Village Industry programmes.

Around 1.37 crore persons are engaged in the sector and are producing varied KVI products with sales turnover exceeding Rs. 52000 crores.

Shri Saxena has brought in vibrancy and initiated a host of creative and bold marketing initiatives including involving the Corporates for marketing convergence and has been successful in signing MoUs with Raymond, Arvind, ABRFL, NIFT, Globus etc.

He also has canvassed aggressively for promotion of Khadi with Public Sectors and Govt. Departments and has managed to obtain bulk orders from Air India, ONGC, REC, PMO, Railways, Ministry of Health, Department of Postal and Telegraph etc.

He has also brought in e-governance into the Khadi sector and ushered in e-portals for distribution of subsidy both for the entrepreneur as well as Khadi institutions and artisans bringing in transparency and ease of implementation.

Opening up Khadi for sale through franchise and malls and retail chains has also been one of the major initiatives undertaken by him with close cooperation of Retailer Association of India and Khadi has already found its place in Khadi Korner at Globus, NOIDA, Chennai and Ahmedabad.

Khadi Korner is also being opened in Apna Bazars in the State and talks are on with Future Group, Shoppers Stop etc.

Shri Saxena has held important post of Director of the Dholer Port Project with JK Group and is also the Founder –President of the widely acclaimed NGO-NCCL (National Council for Civil Liberties) which established a formidable opposition for Medha Patkar of Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), for the benefit of Adiwasis. NCCL has also carried out extensive relief work in the earthquake affected areas of Gujarat.

Awards Received

• In May 2008 “International Felicitation” by United National Decade of Sustainable Development (UNDESD), UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP.
• In May 2007 won ‘Dubai International Award’.
• In July 2000 attended workshop on ‘Wise Coastal Practice for Sustainable Human Development and project by UNESCO.
• In April 2000 “Selected by the ‘Third World Network of Scientific Organization”, Italy as one of the four referees for evaluation of an important Joint Research Project.