Kochi hosts expo to create awareness about Indian silk

With an aim to promote and create awareness of pure silk and its uses among consumers, a five-day expo is being undertaken by the Silk Mark.

"The present market is dumped with duplicate and look alike materials in cheaper price tag, because of which consumers get confused and this kind of awareness is needed," said an officer of Silk Mark India.

The centre is in the fore front of promotion, research and development of silk and its products in India.

According to the organisers it is a real crowd puller as the expo only has 99 percent pure silk products with authenticity mark like hallmark found in gold ornaments, assuring full guarantee.

Here, customers are also taught and shown how it is prepared from its beginning stage of cocoon to yarn.

According to a recent study by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) titled 'Future of Indian Silk Industry,' India's silk industry is an employment oriented sector as it provides jobs to over 7.6 million people across 51,000 villages.

The industry is operating over 3,28,000 handlooms and over 45,800 powerlooms with over 8,14,000 weavers.

India's total silk imports have increased from over USD 124 million in 2000-01 to about USD 312 million in 2012-13 with raw silk alone comprising about 73 percent of these imports worth over USD 227 million, the study mentions.

India depends on silk imports mainly from China as the total consumption is around 30,000 mt per year, out of which India produces around 25,000 mt per year and the remaining 5,000 mt is covered by imports.

Indian Silk Board and other related departments are confident that by 2020 India will be self reliant in this industry.

New research and development programs are initiated to help farmers and are getting good yield.

In India, Karnataka remains the highest producer followed by Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.