Indian Silk Industry Overview: Identifying Consumer Concerns

Background: The Indian silk industry has been booming worldwide, creating a mark for itself. India is home to
some of the most exotic and wide-ranging silks globally. It occupies a distinctive position in the textile industry
of India as it plays a significant role by contributing almost 15% of the world's total raw silk production and is
also a dominant contributor to the textile exports from India. The silk industry also plays a significant role in
elevating the rural economy of India. India happens to be the largest consumer of silk goods, mainly influenced
by traditional clothing practices.
Methods: The present paper studies in depth the silk demographics of India. It keenly tracks the silk industry
production, imports and exports and its future projections. In an attempt to understand the current consumer
behaviour in relation to silk textiles, a survey has been conducted on 200 women aged between 20-60 years.
Results and Discussion: The results have been discussed to bring to light the critical consumer concern areas
that the stakeholders in the silk industry need to focus on to strengthen their foothold further. The results of the
survey highlight that many consumers do not use silk due to the expensive maintenance it requires such as
drycleaning. Various other consumer patterns and concerns have come to light through the survey. The Indian
silk industry is passing through a crucial phase of reorientation and adjustment necessitated by the market
forces. The use of silk is becoming increasingly prevalent in the upcoming sectors such as home textiles and
other technical textiles.