Pankaj Tripathi: Need to strengthen rural economy

Pankaj Tripathi

In a bid to encourage the consumption of khadi products, the Bihar government recently appointed Pankaj Tripathi as the brand ambassador of the Khadi Mall in Patna. The new role comes as a source of joy as well as duty to the actor, who deeply believes in the Gandhian principle of self-reliance.

At a time when the country is going through an economic downturn due to the pandemic, Tripathi feels it is necessary to offer a boost to homegrown products. "Shyam Rajak, industries minister, Bihar, was keen that I join their initiative to promote the use of the fabric among the country's youth. As evident from the humanitarian crisis created by the pandemic, we need to strengthen the rural economy. I will urge my fans to use more khadi products, as greater consumption will lead to greater production, which will help craftsmen at the grassroot level. If we boost the rural economy, it will help strengthen the nation,"

reasons the actor. To him, khadi represents an ideology rather than a commercial product. "I have an emotional connect with the initiative," says Tripathi, who intends to head to Patna once the lockdown is completely lifted.

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