Silk Mark scheme launched

The Silk Mark Organisation of India (SMOI) has launched the Silk Mark scheme, which will indicate the quality of silk used in all primary, intermediate and finished silk products.

The scheme was launched in Bangalore on Thursday.

The scheme is sponsored by the Central Silk Board (CSB) of the Union ministry of textiles.

Union minister of textiles, Shankersinh Vaghela, said, "The scheme is being introduced to protect all the consumers of silk, since many of them are ignorant about the purity standards. Aulteration of silk with other fibres and fabrics made of other fibres being sold as silk is a serious threat to the Indian consumer. This scheme is a step in the right direction since the stamped logo of Silk Mark on the fabric ensures tremendous protection to the consumer."

SMOI has been christened as the new body that would lead all efforts in this exercise. Initially it will be operated by members of the CSB and later hived off as a separate unit. SMOI is a newly-registered society sponsored by the CSB and Union ministry of textiles.

The Silk Mark's purpose is multi-dimensional. Besides promoting and providing an identity to the variety of silk, it will mainly benefit the consumer by spreading awareness about the quality of silk.

It will be a registered trade mark for the entire wholesale and retail community. A hologram as part of the Silk Mark is expected to avoid duplication. In the long-term, it aims to build consumer confidence in the export and import market.

Speaking to mediapersons, Vaghela said that India is competitive enough to take on China once the quota regime is over.

Besides hoping that textile exports would be doubled to Rs 100,000 crore in the next 12 months, the minister also said that all loss-making National Textile Corporation mills, especially those in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, would be converted into export oriented malls, complete with facilities like cinema halls.

"After the imposition of anti-dumping duty during 2002, the prices of cocoons and raw silk have stabilised. While the cocoon prices rose from Rs 70 to Rs 120 and the raw silk prices from Rs 800 to Rs 1,200 per kg. However, I would like to remind that the anit-dumping duty will be in force only till 2007 and there is an urgent need to enhance the quality and productivity of Indian silk in order to make it more competitive in the export and domestic markets."

The minister also lauded the efforts of the CSB, which is currently implementing the catalytic developmental programmes during the 10th Plan with an outlay of Rs 181 crore.

"Of the total outlay, CSB has already ensured an expenditure of around Rs 82.43 crore for the first two years of the plan period (2002-2007) mainly in areas like construction of rearing houses for sericulturists, drip irrigation, disinfection, start up tools etc."