A major reason why ITC stays involved is because sericulture and silk production are labour-intensive at the village level, employing both men and women at all stages of production. In China, this sector occupies some 20 million farmers, as well as 500,000 people in the silk processing industry. In India, sericulture is a cottage industry in 59,000 villages. In fact, this sector has been identified as a sector of the Indian economy with strong potential to create jobs. Environmentally friendly Silk is also environmentally friendly.
Silk is produced with few chemical fertilizers and practically no insecticides.
Primarily made of proteins, it is close in composition to human skin, making it extremely comfortable to wear. Today s challenges New competition. New synthetic fibers are ever-more sophisticated. They look and feel like silk, but are easier to care for. Viscose and polyester have taken some of silk s market share.