All Khadi is hand woven, but not all hand woven is Khadi.
Khadi is hand woven using a yarn that has been hand spun on a chakha. No machinery is used to make either the yarn or the fabric. Khadi production has little or no carbon footprint because of this method.
While Khadi is usually manufactured from cotton, contrary to popular belief it is also made from silk and woolen yarn (called Khadi silk and Khadi wool respectively).
This eco-friendly fabric is known for its texture, comfortable feel and ability to keep people warm in the winter as well as cool in summer.
During the pre-independence era in India the movement of Khadi manufacturing gained momentum under the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi.
The Khadi movement by Gandhi was aimed at boycotting foreign cloth. Gandhi began promoting the spinning of Khadi for rural self-employment and self-reliance (instead of using cloth manufactured industrially in Britain) in the 1920s in India, thus making Khadi an integral part and an icon of the Swadeshi movement.
Khadi is still produced today by rural spinners and weavers, producing much needed and sustainable income.