Sericulture Industry in India - A Source of Employment Generation

India is the second largest producer of silk in the world ,next to China, with 14.7% share in global raw silk production. Silk, considered as the queen of fibres, is proteinaceous in nature. The bulk of commercial silk is produced from the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori. The sericulture is rural, cottage and agro-based industry of cultivating food plants, rearing silkworms, conducting silk reeling, twisting, dyeing, weaving etc. ,provides continuous employment to 6817 thousand people in India .The current annual production of 16957 MTs of mulberry raw silk and proportionate consumption of food plants in 179 thousand hectares spread over 51 thousand villages ,generation of 125 thousand tons silk cocoons and 24 crore silkworm seed indicate the colossal quantum of waste and pollution generation in sericulture sector, require perceptive management for ecological security, value addition, and employment generation. The catching art of crafting silk waste is one of the interesting utility of silk, which develop human skills besides generating self employment and additional revenue. The crafts like garlands, flower vase, wreath, pen stand, dolls, jeweler, wall hangings, clocks, bouquets, and greeting cards, can be carved using silk wastes. The silk based paper is used to craft flowers, buffet lamps, and decorate plastics, steel and fabrics. The hybrid silk, net raw silk, silk tow and silk waves were converted as high valued fancy jackets, carpets and furnishings. The traditional practices make mulberry and silkworm to produce only silk filament and textiles, the new approach extend its application towards nutritional, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, biomaterial, biomedical, and bioengineering, automobile, house building, and art crafts