Silk Mark to be introduced in global markets

Davanagere (Karnataka), Jul 13: The Silk Mark Organisation of India proposes to introduce silk mark, an assurance of pure silk, in international markets to build brand equity for Indian silk, its Senior Sales Executive K M Namboodiri has said.

The move followed the revelation by a study, conducted by the organisation, that over 50 per cent of the fabrics sold in the market as silk were found to be either synthetic or synthetic blends, he told source here.

Mr Namboodiri said silk mark was an effort to bring smile to the faces of millions of silk lovers and silk farmers. Silk mark activities, which have spread in Kolkata and Guwahati in the North East, would be launched in New Delhi and Varanasi shortly in association with the Central Silk Board.

He lamented that though silk was one of the most loved fibres in the world known to mankind for over thousand years and renowned for its style, sensuousness, fashion, tradition, heritage and unmatched lustre, rarely was a consumer conversant with the production, manufacturing and testing of silk. Consumers tend to buy silk relying on the design, opulence of the showroom, prowess of the salesman and assurance of friends.

He said that despite India being the largest consumer of silk and second largest producer, there was an opportunity to increase production of high quality silk. The Indian silk industry, valued at about Rs 8,000 crore, was essentially a cottage industry. While India imported silk yarn and grey fabrics worth about Rs 1,500 crore, her export of value-added silk products amounted to nearly Rs 3,000 crore.

UNI