India’s silk production capacity is expected to reach about 38,500 tonnes in the next three years from about 34,500 tonnes now, according to a senior official of Union Ministry of Textiles.

India is the second largest producer of silk after China and the largest consumer of silk. About 80 per cent of the total silk production is consumed locally.

Capacity addition

To meet the growing demand, steps have been taken to increase the total silk production capacity to 38,500 tonnes by 2020, Puneet Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Textiles, said at the inauguration of Silk Mark Expo 2017 here.

The sari industry consumes 75 per cent of domestic production of silk, which is primarily a cottage industry, spread over 59,000 villages across 25 States. About 80 lakh people are dependent on this segment and about 70 per cent of them are women. Agarwal said various measures have been taken to improve the quality in the silk sector. The intent is to promote Silk Mark, which certifies 100 per cent pure silk. The aim is to make the Silk Mark a popular benchmark like BIS, he said.

Silk Mark

KM Hanumantharayappa, Chairman, Central Silk Board, urged the people to look for silk mark label while buying silk saris and fabrics. Brand Ambassador for Silk Mark actress Vidya Balan said Silk Mark label guarantees value for money and it is the only assurance of pure silk.

The Silk Mark Expo 2017 will be held at Kalaivanar Arangam during October 6-12 and there will be 60 stalls from various clusters across 15 States. The cooperative societies of Tamil Nadu will also take part in good numbers.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW