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India is the second largest producer of tasar silk after China and earns about 14 to 15 crorers of foreign exchange annually amounting to 2 to 3% of total silk export earning. Tasarculture is practiced by one lakh forty thousand tribal families in Jharkand, Bihar, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Madya Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh. U.P. and Maharashtra. It gives gainful employment and attractive additional income to the tribals. However, for silk yarn and fabric production non tribals are involved.
Tasar silk has the greater commercial importance especially in exports. Though in tasar silk output India is next to China, quality wise Indian product is exclusive. Indian tasar is widely acclaimed as popular dress material of elegance both in India and abroad. Another reason for its prominence is its wider export market potential exploited since 1950's thereby finding way for almost 90% of its production for exports which is in sharp contrast to other varieties of natural silks.
Traditional markets for tasar silk export are Singapore, Hong kong, United Arab Emirates, Taiwan and Saudi Arabia where as non traditional markets are USA, United Germany, Canada, Japan, France, Switzerland, United kingdom, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, New Zealand ,Australia and Czechoslovakia.
Main varieties of tasar silk goods exported are dress materials, sarees, readymade garments, carpets followed by sarees and other above mentioned varieties.
It may be emphasized here that demand for tasar silk fabric goods and made-ups in export market is increasing day by day as consumers are becoming more conscious about the eco-friendly nature of tasar silk fabrics and made-ups and efforts to develop eco-friendly dye and finished tasar silk fabrics are on along with qualitative improvement of both reeled and spun tasar silk yarn with an eye upon further boosting tasar silk exports.
Tasar silk fabrics are mostly used as gents wear in our country. The other outlets are in the form of thicker varieties of fabrics like dress material and furnishing fabrics made from tasar ghicha, tasar-ghicha-noil and tasar katia yarn mostly catering to the export markets.
As per target of the Tenth Five Year Plan, 30 projects have been sanctioned. Estimated project cost (for common infrastructure and common facilities) is Rs. 2,893.42 crores, of which Government of India assistance under the scheme would be Rs. 1,054.76 crores. So far, an amount of Rs. 205 crores has been released under the Scheme. 2,186 entrepreneurs are scheduled to put up their units in these parks covering an area of 3,206 acres. The estimated investment in these parks would be Rs.15,258 crores and estimated annual production would be Rs. 24,024 crores. After these Textiles Parks become functional, there will be employment generation for 5.45 lakh persons.
In tasar weaving, reeled yarn is almost exclusively used in the wrap. Various types of yarn (reeled or spun) are used according to the type desired to be produced.
In India, tasar is woven almost entirely on handlooms either on throw shuttle or fly shuttle looms. Very little effort is known to have been made to weave tasar on power looms. The preparatory, processes are also conducted by the most primitive methods. Developments have been made towards preparatory processes as well as weaving and demonstrated in the field.
As "Kimono" in Japan , 90% of demand of silk fabrics comes from sarees only and if lasting demands have to be made for tasar silk fabrics, it should find place in our ladies dresses particularly sarees. No doubt some quantity of tasar sarees is being produced but due to coarseness, rough texture and poor finishing they are not very popular. They are generally woven from 50 to 70 denier yarns, which are too heavy for all time use.
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