Khadi is a beloved child of our 'Father of our nation' which was found and nourished during 1920 as part of operation of freedom. It was started in tamilnadu during 1923 and was managed by Tamilnadu Congress committee under the Chairmanship of E.V.Ramasamy.

During 1925, the Akil Bharat Charka Sangh was formed, which took over the Khadi activity from Congress Committee. After Independence, the Akil Bharat Charka Sangh merged with the Akil Bharat Sarvo Seva Sangh.The Akil Bharat Sarvo Seva Sangh had accepted decentralization as a policy and major plan of extension for other activities.

As a part of this policy, the Khadi & Village Industries Commission activities in Tamilnadu were brought under a newly created institution called Tamilnadu Sarvodaya Sangh during 1958. Within a few years, Tamilnadu Sarvodaya Sangh also decentralized its activities into District and Block level institutions.

As a part of the decentralization of Tamilnadu Sarvodaya Sangh, Padiyur Sarvodaya Sangh was born in the year 1961 with an area of operation consisting of 8 revenue villages and a population of 24,000.The Khadi activities were started at Padiyur during 1940 under All India Spinners Association

When the sangh was decentralized from tamilnadu sarvodaya sangh during 1961,The padiyur sangh was formed and it had 3 branches and 18 workers producing Rs. 5 lakh worth of Khadi. Its growth spanning over 50 years, the Sangh has now grown into a large institution containing 15 Branches and 88 workers with a 10 crore turnover in Khadi and village industry activities.

The sangh has also established a small workshop, Non-edible oil, Soap unit, Village Leather unit, Neem oil Production unit, Agar batthi and Butter units. These village industrial units are situated in every branch of this Sangh for better performance.

The Padiyur experiment stands out as a shining example of successful decentralization at the village level and it also serves as a good lesson to the management students. The size of the organization, the size of spares of control, the size of business involved are all inter related with each other to result in success. The pattern of staffing and the methods of training within the organization and the motivation, incentives and opportunities available to them are all factors contributing to lead the enterprise to success.

The attempt at the above said exercises in the management has ushered in a highly promising institutional frame work as a model for the future.

Natural silk industry had concentrated in certain traditional areas in our country. It was never thought that silk reeling and weaving could come up in a non-traditional location like Padiyur.As of today, we do all the processes from cocoon up to fabrication of silk cloth, the quality of which attracts a large number of customers from far and wide.

A unique effort to produce Jari in Padiyur has also succeeded tremendously. HITHERTO FOR Jari used to be supplied from its only production centre in the country, Surat. With the beginning of this industry in Padiyur, we are not only self sufficient in our requirements for Jari but also supplying to a number of other institutions of Tamilnadu.

Padiyur is a tiny village situated in the Northern part of Kangayam Block in Tirupur District in a draught prone area. The village has a long history to its credit. There are some mention about Padiyur in Mahabharata and Ramayana. In ancient days during Sangam period 2500 B.C and up to 10th century A.D, Padiyur was a flourishing commercial centre for exquisite jewellery items studded with different precious stones in which green stones were predominant.

The craft and beauty of these jewellery items attracted customers from as far as European countries and a continuing commercial relationship was established with those countries in the early years.Brief mentions about the glorious past of Padiyur can be seen in several ancient literatures.

In the words of Mahatma Gandhiji,"Khadi to me is the symbol of unity of Indian humanity, of its economic freedom and equality and ultimately in the poetic expression of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru "The Livery of Indian Freedom".

The "Khadi Spirit" means illuminate patience, it also means "Equally illuminate Faith"

The "Khadi Spirit" means fellow feeling with every human being on earth. It means a complete resurrection of everything that is likely to harm our fellow creatures.

I am well aware that Khadi cannot compete with other articles of commerce on their own platform on their own terms. But I know this also for certain that Khadi is unique and it would out distance every article in India today – (Mahatma Gandhiji "Young India – 22.09.1927").

Khadi which was raised into a livery of our freedom by natural unobtrusive mass consciousness has of late stepped back to depend more and more on unnatural ways of popularizations. Man to man truth spreads and holds conviction. In a mass propaganda, conviction leads to credulity.

Term Khadi represented free thought in a fettered society. Now, it has just become the reverse. It is represented as a fetter from the past on a free society.

Nobody can doubt today that the world we live is constantly transforming before our eyes. The Khadi sector cannot be an exception to this change.