The silk route to authenticity

After a lull on account of the pandemic, Silk Mark Organisation of India is reaching out to various institutions to create awareness about identifying pure silk

The next time you are shopping for silk saris, make sure to first look for the Silk Mark label on the pallu. This is a consumer protection initiative of the Ministry Of Textiles, Government of India and sponsored by the Central Silk Board.

The label guarantees that the sari meets stringent quality standards, which includes the purity of silk used and adherence to traditional weaving techniques.

After the break caused by the pandemic, the Chennai chapter of Silk Mark Organisation of India (SMOI) has resumed its awareness programmes at colleges, ladies clubs and retail establishments to prevent consumers from being cheated.

On July 5, the Citizen Consumer Club and Internal Quality Assurance Cell of Annai Violet Arts and Science College in Ambattur conducted an awareness programme with team from SMOI bringing cocoons and other samples to show the various processes that go into crafting a sari and the role they can play in preventing this art from dying. Methods in silk care are also covered during these workshops.

“We have so far conducted such sessions in five city colleges and we encourage institutions to invite us,” says Hemashree K.H, assistant secretary (Tech), SMOI, CSB, Chennai Chapter.

The institute is seeing interest among online retailers and home entrepreneurs in getting the certification as it builds credibility in their business.

As per SMOI, there are more than 5000 authorised users across cities who sell Silk Mark labelled products.