Journal articles: 'Indian Silk Industry' – Grafiati (2025)

Abstract:

Silk, the "Queen of Textiles" is an inseparable part of Indian culture and tradition over thousands of year. The internal high market demand makes India, the largest silk consuming country as no ritual is completed here without it, and the second largest silk producing country of the world with more than 18% to the world’s silk production. Being an agro-based industry, this sector includes both agricultural and industrial aspects and thus refers to the work started from mulberry cultivation, silk worm rearing, and obtaining silk up to the making of finished silk product. Indian climate is appropriate for the production of all the varieties of silk called Mulberry, Tasar, Muga and Eri and among these Mulberry silk is the most renowned and popular form of silk. This industry helps in shaping the economic destiny of the rural people especially for the overpopulated rural economy based country like India as it mainly depends on human power and helps in poverty alleviation whereas, being retreated from the developed countries because of the increasing labour cost. It is appropriate for both marginal and small scale land holders because of its low investment and high assured return at regular interval. In West Bengal, Silk industry plays a significant economic role by providing employment over 1.2lakhs rural families round the year (Seri States Profile, 2019). The district Murshidabad of West Bengal is well equipped in both the production and weaving of mulberry silk and so as a matter of fact the silk industry of the state mainly goes by the name of ‘Murshidabad Silk’ as the silk weaving belts are confined around this district. This paper intends to analyse the importance of silk as a remunerative cash crop of Murshidabad.

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Abstract: Dying is a popular practice in textile industry which is prevalent at all parts of the world from the period of ancient civilization. Initially, natural dyes i.e. dye derived from natural resources like vegetables, flowers, minerals, plants etc. were used. Now-a-days, due to technological and scientific innovations synthetic dyes are processed at large scale in the laboratories as it is still one of the most profitable industry globally. However, the rapid utilization of chemicals in textile industry for production of synthetic dyes causes degradation of environment like soil pollution, water pollution etc. Hence, it is necessary to promote the utilization of natural dyes globally. In this paper, the bleached silk fabric was dyed with Indian Madder natural dye at different temperature and the colour strength is measured spectrophotometrically in order to study the effectiveness of the dye. Keywords: Natural dye, bleached silk fabric, Indian Madder, Colour strength

Abstract:

Indian silk industry is the second largest producer of silk in the world. India has the unique distinction of being the only country producing all the five known commercial silk, namely, Mulberry, Tropical Tasar, Oak Tasar, Eri, and Muga. Among the four varieties of silk produced in 2015-16, Tasar accounts for 9.90%, i.e., 2,818 MT of the total raw silk production of 28,472 MT. In Tripura, the societies are well acquainted with only mulberry silk production. Temperature plays a very vital role in the growth of Tasar (Anthereae mylitta) silkworm also. Anthereae mylitta is a species of moth in the family Saturniidae known commonly as the Tasar silkworm and Vanya silkworm. This species is variable, with at least 44 identified eco-races, populations adapted to varied ecological conditions and food plants. Though Tripura is endowed with well demarcated sub-tropical and temperate zones with a low average temperature of 10°C in the winter season which rises to a maximum average of 35°C in the summer, it supports the cultivation of tropical Tasar silkworm in a very unique manner naturally. The present study analyzes the morphological behavior of the Tasar silkworm in a new environment and its interaction to that particular eco-friendly environment to facilitate the socioeconomic upliftment regarding the sericulture practices exhibited by the rural people of the state of Tripura. This study also proves that in the near future Tasar culture will become a boon to the poor people along with Mulberry cultivation.

Abstract:

The fine gold and silver zari thread is an integral part of the silk handloom weaving predominantly practiced in the southern part of the Indian peninsula. The zari thread consists of a silk core, wrapped with flattened silver-copper alloy wire and electroplated with gold. In a brocade silk saree, a minimum of 240 g (1 Marc) of zari is used along with 540 g of dyed silk to produce a silk saree of 6 m in length. The cost of zari is up to 60% of the price of the raw material needed to produce the saree. Earlier, the silver purity of zari thread was assessed using the volumetric analysis technique. Recently, due to the sharp rise in the price of precious metals, the gravimetric technique, which is more time-consuming, has been adopted to test all the zari ingredients as a content percentage to help the fair-trade practice of zari thread. The advent of the computerized XRF-ED technique has accelerated the process of estimating the metal purity values instantly. It could not be used as a tool to estimate the cost of the zari thread as it is traded based on the concentration of silk. Thus, this research aimed to develop the computerized XRF-ED zari testing protocol using the artificial intelligence technique to assess the zari content values. The research findings revealed that the results of the zari thread constituents as content percentage estimated using AI technique are comparable and at par with the test results of the gravimetric analysis. Thus, the XRF-ED testing can be popularized in the field to assess the quality of zari used in the handloom silk saree available to consumers. Findings could also benefit the overall development of the handloom industry faced with tough competition from the silk saree woven with zari imitation thread.

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Abstract: Tourism destinations often are dependent on natural and cultural/heritage resources to form their attractions bases, which are linked to the economic vitality of local communities. Tourism industry can generate income and holistic development of a region. Rural tourism provides an economic incentive to the local people who are residing in these regions. It also adds an ethnic flavor to the consumer’s (tourist) taste. Silk Route in Sikkim is popularly known as ‘Silk Route” in Sikkim tourism map. It is one of the best rural tourist destinations of Sikkim. The silk route is very popular among the tourists. The landscape is beautiful and wonderfully thrilling. The lush greenery, panoramic view of hills and the simplicity of the indigenous inhabitants attracts the urban tourists to this place. The paper attempts an empirical presentation addressing the concept of rural tourism, which is an emerging perception on tourism introduced recently into the Indian tourism sector. This paper try to explore the potentiality as a rural tourist destination, and how such rural or Ecotourism can be an instrument to empower indigenous communities in a particular area and provide community development through economic and social benefits to the local communities for their well-being. This finding can be exemplified elsewhere as an approach on sustainable development of rural tourism through the community participation and management practiced at village level.

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In 2014 the newly elected Indonesian president Joko Widodo declared his doctrine “In- donesia – World Maritime Fulcrum”. His intention is to transform Indonesia which connects two great oceans – Indian and Pacific – into a strategic logistic and trade world hub as well as the main supplier of sea products for the world market. Indonesian government plans to build 35 deepwater and ordinary ports across the archipelago during the next five years. The implementation of the project demands colossal money investments and gigantic volumes of work. Indonesia cannot do it alone, the country needs foreign investors and constructors. A number of Asian and Europe countries expressed their intentions to cooperate with Indonesia in the maritime sector. But the most interested turned out to be China which expressed its ardent desire to cooperate with Indonesia in the sector of maritime industry. And it is quite understandable taking into consideration that China worked out its own project “Maritime Silk Road” which comprises the same sea territory as Indonesia’s “Maritime Fulcrum” project. Chinese leaders invited Indonesia to closely cooperate in implementing these two projects which are mutually coinciding and complementary. Indonesian leaders gladly accepted this invitation hoping to gain a lot from cooperation with China. Chinese “Maritime Silk Road” project will contribute to the development of inter-island communicativity which is strongly needed especially in the eastern part of Indonesian archipelago. In addition China agreed to participate in building and reconstructing Indonesian ports. Some Indonesian observers greet close cooperation with China as a very profitable business opportunity but others express apprehensions that too close cooperation with China could be dangerous for Indonesian sovereignty over its territorial waters.

Abstract:

Business age is one of the significant possibilities of sericulture and silk industry. Sericulture has emerged as the most important cash crop due to its low investment, high employment potential, short gestation period, and high return. It works well for the Tribal's agrarian economy. Reasonable for each part of society, a major rancher or a landless, matured individual or a young, man or a lady. utilizes straightforward technology that is simple to comprehend and adapt to. Sericulture has benefited low-income and socially disadvantaged groups by providing downstream employment and income generation in rural and semi-urban areas. This study explore that how sericulture satisfy the chances of occupation for ancestral. The study reveals that sericulture is an activity with high output and low investment. The review closes for certain ideas to work on the drawn out achievability of sericulture. In the agricultural sector, sericulture is a cash crop; It returns within 30 days, assisting rural residents in the socioeconomic transition. In sericulture, the whole scope of exercises produce a moderate progression of pay and sets out work open doors for a significant segment of low gifted peripheral rustic occupants who might somehow stay jobless or masked utilized in immense horticultural area. The cottage and small scale sector includes these industries, which rely on farm labor. Mulberry cultivation generates employment on farms in the silkworm seed industry. Mulberry leaves are used as input in the silkworm raising industry, which gives the family of mulberry growers the capacity to employ a large number of people and earn a living. Sericulture with its remarkable elements assumes a significant part in updating the financial states of the rustic society and with business open doors to the informed country youth and ladies worker. The paper aims to shed light on the significance of sericulture and discuss strategies for generating employment in the Indian sericulture industry in light of its significance. The study concludes with some recommendations for enhancing the long-term viability of sericulture.

Abstract:

Melaka is known to have historical values, even the beginning of the birth of Malaysia began in this country. Melaka is also known as the main maritime trade center in this region precisely in the 16th century. Traders from various countries such as Arab, China, India and Europe also came to Malacca to trade silk, spices, gold and porcelain. Therefore on July 7, 2008 UNECSO recognized Melaka as a World Heritage City State together with Georgetown, the State of Penang. Now, Melaka is here to offer a variety of tourism products based on 13 Tourism Product Sub-Sectors, including History, Culture, Recreation, Sports, Shopping, Conventions, Health, Education, Agro Tourism, Culinary, Melaka My Second House, Youth Tourism and Ecotourism. With the theme "Touring Historical Melaka Means Visiting Malaysia" and "Melaka Bandaraya Melaka UNESCO World Heritage" Melaka offers a variety of cultural uniqueness such as Malay, Chinese, Indian, Portuguese, Peranakan, Chitti and others. To further enhance the Melaka tourism industry, the Melaka State Government took the initiative to launch Visit Melaka Year 2019 (VMY 2019) which aims to showcase the culture and uniqueness of Melaka through "Melaka A Gateway to Historic Malaysia". This research explores forms of tourism communication in the 2019 Melaka Visit Program launched by the government, Malaysia, with a case study on tourists. This research uses a qualitative approach with a case study method. Research data collection using interview methods, involved observation and literature study. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the Melaka tourism communication strategy launched by the government, through a number of communication channels, one of them through social media. The results showed that social media has a significant role in creating emotional experiences about the tourist attractions they visit..

Abstract:

AbstractIn 1769, the East India Company decided to transform the Bengali silk industry, and introduced Piedmontese reeling technologies and spatially concentrated working practices into the area. Although Bengali raw silk reeled with the new methods never reached the standards of Piedmontese silks, the Company was able to produce huge quantities of low-quality raw silks, and to gain market share in London from the 1770s to the 1830s. By investigating the reasons behind this partial success, this article shows that some features of Piedmontese technologies had a crucial impact on peasants who specialized in the mulberry cultivation and the rearing of silkworms. The Company had to cope with resistance from some rural economic agents in late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Bengal, but other elements in local society were able to profit from the Company's interest in producing raw silk.

Abstract:

This paper explores how the silk production in India started flourishing from mid of the seventeenth century when the demand for cheaper Bengal silk began to rise in European market. Initially Dutch merchants were collecting the silk from domestic market for exporting it to Europe and later English East India Company (EEIC) took over the control of silk trade spreading their tentacles in different parts of Bengal. In order to improve the quality, EEIC introduced Italian technology of reeling in Bengal in 1769, though Bengal sericulture was unable to adapt the technology. Bengal economy was going through several natural calamities and domestic disturbances. From 1813 the company started selling its filatures. The economic power of dadani merchant, money-lenders started growing from this period and they formed a new middle class while the situation of artisan and farmer classes deteriorated. The condition of native artisans of Bengal further worsened under the rule of British Monarch as the Industrial Revolution in West set in. Being potential competitor of Machester Silk, Bengal silk faced serious crisis and eventually Bengal silk industries were transformed into suppliers of raw materials, which was driven by the national interest interests of the British Monarch.

Abstract:

In India, Silk industry plays an important part in textile industry. Muga silk, the golden yellow silk is quite unique to Assam, North-east India where its production is regarded as an important tool for economic development. But, outdated manufacturing technology is followed during the silk production in Assam. The existing cooking process of silk cocoons consists of boiling of silk cocoons in a stainless steel vessel along with water and soda in an open fireplace which is highly energy inefficient. Therefore, two modified systems have been designed; one having cylindrical boiling chamber (vessel) and the other having spherical boiling chamber (vessel). Both the chambers are having a cocoon heating chamber associated with them for cooking and drying of silk cocoons simultaneously. These designs are further classified into two types of designs based on channel and nozzle type combustion chambers. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to improve the existing designs to maximize the utilization of heat carried by the combustion gases. These modified systems are analysed by using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) selecting standard k–є model. From the analysis, it is seen that these new systems having nozzle type combustion chambers are more efficient than the systems having cylindrical combustion chambers and if these systems are used in silk production, it will be very beneficial for the silk industry as well as for our society.

Abstract:

This study aims to determine the role of organizational culture in the context of the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the silk industry in Indonesia. The case studies carried out in Wajo, South Sulawesi as one of Indonesia's leading silk producer. The influence of organizational culture on competitiveness is analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively through field survey. Respondents came from silk businesses and local governments, Regent, Head of the Department of Trade and Industry. Then it is compared to the SMEs practices in several countries in Asia: Japan, China and India. The results showed that the organizational culture of SMEs silk in Wajo district classified as 'good' so that it is a strong capital in the development of silk industry in this area. Marketing, development of product design, advanced technology and copyright need attention in increasing competitiveness as a consequence of the free market. The results of this study support the Indonesian government that has recently turned out to specifically instruct Wajo local governments in taking strategic decisions to spur growth in this industry sector.

Abstract:

AbstractIn the early twentieth century, the Salvation Army in British India transformed its public profile and standing, shifting from being an organization seen by the state as a threat to social order, to being partner to the state in the delivery of social welfare programmes. At the same time, the Army also shaped discussion and anxieties about the precarious position of India's economy and sought to intervene on behalf of the state—or to present itself as doing so—in the rescue of India's traditional industries. The Army was an important actor in debates about the future of traditional industries such as silkworm rearing and silk weaving, and was able to mobilize public opinion to press provincial governments for resources with which to try to resuscitate and rejuvenate India's silk industry. Although the Army's sericulture initiatives failed to thwart the decline of India's silk industry, they generated significant momentum, publicity, and public attention, to some extent transforming the Army's standing in British India and beyond.

Abstract:

The study concerned about the growth rate of mulberry area, production and productivity and cocoon and raw silk production and productivity five major traditional sates (Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu Kashmir and West Bengal) in India during 1980-81 to 2016-17. In Tamil Nadu, Compared with all the seven periods the highest significant compound growth observed in mulberry area and production was 17.50 per cent, 21.02 per cent during the period IV (1998-99 to 2001-02) and mulberry productivity 2.63 per cent since improved mulberry varieties like S36 and MR2 was released during that period II (1988-89 to 1997-98). Overall period (1980-81 to 2016-17), the cocoon productivity (2.67%) was positively significant in Tamil Nadu. There was a positively significant growth rate of cocoon production and productivity in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. Even though there was negative significant growth in productivity (-7.62%), but the growth of production (0.51%) was non-significant in Jammu Kashmir. There is significant positive growth of production (2.33%) and productivity (2.96%) in India. In Tamil Nadu, The growth rates of raw silk production (2.17%) and productivity (5.25%) was found highly significant during the overall Period (1980-81 to 2016-17). There was a highly significant growth rate of raw silk production and productivity in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and for India as a whole. In Jammu Kashmir; the growth rates of cocoon production alone (4.14%) were significant.

Abstract:

Abstractt: The Tasar silk Industry has proved its potential in raising sustainable income and employment in the rural sector of Jharkhand State (India) and is a growing activity in the primary sector which aims more income to the artisans and workers of this industry. This paper entitles an artisanal industry that concentrates on the study regarding the impact of technologies on sericulture in selected area. Sericulture is an agro-industrial activity aiming to produce silk though rearing of silkworm. It involves the raising of food plants (Terminalia arjuna, Terminalia tomentosa, Shorea robusta etc) for silkworm, rearing of silkworm for production of cocoons, reeling and spinning of cocoons for production of yarn for value added benefits such as processing and weaving. The knowledge of technology has found to have greater impact on improving the productivity, production and manufacturing of Tasar Silk Fabric in terms of agriculture as well as its allied activities. This study finds out significant positive impact of knowledge about advanced technology and its adoption on the development of the sector by the artisans so that the Tasar Silk Garment Industry grows and benefit its stakeholders

Abstract:

Sericulture, or silk farming, is the cultivation of silkworms to produce silk. Although there are several commercial species of silkworms, Silk was believed to have first been produced in China as early as the Neolithic Period. Sericulture has become an important cottage industry in countries such as Brazil, China, France, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, and Russia. Today, China and India are the two main producers, with more than 60% of the world's annual production. In this case, the sericulture production in Turkey, as the export-oriented shows could increase in the future. Sericulture production was begun in Anatolia which is Asian part of Turkey in A.D. 552 during Byzantium Emperor of Justinianus. The city of Bursa became a textile city which was famous for silk and silk trade centre. In middle of 16th silk textile industry was developed. Apart from city of Bursa, cities of Istanbul, dirne, Amasya, Denizli, Izmir and Konya were important sericulture centers In addition; the increase of government support in sericult production is also hope for the future of sericulture production in Turkey. In this study, using the silkworm cocoon data between the years of 1991-2019, the future 5-year production is estimated. For this, estimates were tested in the MINITAB program using the ARIMA Model, which is widely used in agricultural production estimates. Unconscious use of pesticides in Turkey, problems with mulberry tree cultivation, technical problems and rural-urban migration results are known to be important issues of the sericulture sector.However, thanks to government subsidies and export-oriented policies, it has been determined that silkworm cocoon production will increase in the next 5 years.

Abstract:

India's Parsis as a group have long been noted for their entrepreneurial talent. Parsis have played an important role in the growth of Indian industry in the nineteenth century, pioneering cotton textile industries in western India. Parsis were first described by early European visitors like J. Ovington as the principal weavers of Gujarat who worked primarily in ‘silks and stuffs’. In the late seventeenth century, Parsis began to participate in trade as ‘a large number of Parsi merchants began to operate in Swally and some of them like Asa Vora bought pinnaces (small coastal ships) to transport their goods to Basra and other ports in the area.’

Abstract:

India is an ancient country to establish sericulture industry and it manufactures and even exports the tasar cloth (Kosa) to various countries since several centuries prior to the B.C. During the second century B.C., the silk was exported from India to European countries. It has been studied that the production of tasar silk was much more than that of mulberry silk during the Mughal period1.India is unique in producing all four commercial silk varieties viz. Mulberry, Tasar, Eri and Muga. Sericulture is well-established agro-cottage industry and suited to rural-based farmers with a good cost-benefit ratio. It provides employment to six million rural populations. Covid-19 was caused by the novel corona virus and was first identified in Wuhan, China. This disease is transmitted through direct contact with the respiratory droplets of infected person, especially when the person coughs and sneezes. Covid-19 has led to a huge loss of human life, food system, millions of agricultural workers had gone through working poverty, mal nutrition and poor health. The Covid -19 crisis has created a dire impact on the complete world. The Lockdown declared by Government had an awful impact on the financial growth and development of every individual. The sericulture sector has also vouched such condition. The sericulture farmers, reelers, weavers and traders have to face various issues like marketing of cocoons, silk, its products, non availability of vehicles for transportation, non availability of the workers from sericulture sector, problems regarding hard currency flow. During pre Covid-19 period the average selling price of cocoon was 400 Rs/Kg while the price during Covid-19 period was Rs. 200/Kg. This paper helps to study the impact on Covid-19 peak period on the livelihood of sericulture farmers, reelers, weavers and traders. Different activities involved in sericulture were affected by pandemic. Due to difficulty in import and export of silk and other related materials, Government has to be self reliant for the production.

Abstract:

The silk handloom industry consumes two-thirds of the raw silk produced domestically in India. It was envisaged to develop a handloom silk saree using spun silk as warp and or weft and study the fabric characteristics in terms of low-stress mechanical properties using Kawabata analysis. Accordingly, a commercially available finer variety of Nm 210/2 spun silk was used as warp and or weft to produce three types of silk sarees and compared with regular reeled silk saree. Two types of spun silk sarees showed significantly lesser bending stiffness when compared to the reeled silk saree that implies, the fabric is less stiff with better drape-ability. The shear rigidity of all the spun silk sarees was significantly lower than that of reeled regular silk saree. It implies that the spun silk fabric can be easily distorted in laying up, marking and cutting. As such it is easy for folding and sleeve insertion during fabric stitching. Also, the spun silk saree possesses tensile, surface and compression properties at par with reeled silk saree. The analysis revealed that the Primary Hand Values (PHV), Koshi (Stiffness), Numeri (Smoothness) and Fukurami (Softness) including the Total Hand Value (THV) for the women’s thin dress material were better than that of regular reeled silk saree. The results of thermal properties revealed that the Q-max, CLO and TIV of the spun silk sarees are significantly better than that of regular reeled silk saree.

Abstract:

The reduction of rural poverty continues to be a paramount goal of the developing countries like India. So far various strategies (Sericulture is most appropriate out of them) have been pursued to address this concern and the rural employment creation is one of the major aspects. In India Sericulture is essentially village based industry providing employment to a sizable section of a population. Sericulture is not only a traditional, but also a living culture. It is an agro based labour intensive and commercially attractive economic activity falling under the cottage and small scale sector. India is the largest producer of Eri silk in the world as 96% of Eri silk is produced in India of the total Eri silk produced in the world (Rajesh Kumar and S.K.Gangwar 2010). Ericulture cannot progress unless it is thought out, planned and implemented in total perspective of the nation. No doubt, the central as well as the state government have their agencies in many places of the country and have been doing something. The aim of my SWOT analysis is to develop work plan for my research that takes into consideration many different internal and external factors and maximizes the potential of the strengths and opportunities while seeking minimize the impact of the weaknesses and threats.

Abstract:

In India, high-quality silk fabrics are nearly exclusively made from the highly prized textile fibre of animal origin known as silk. Silk sarees and materials for clothing are sold in a variety of stores. The majority of these retail stores are constantly searching for various types of silk materials to advertise as unique goods. Central Silk Technological Research Institute (CSTRI) continuously works in this field to offer the silk industry a variety of silk yarns and fabrics produced under eco-friendly tags. In one such attempt, CSTRI developed a wet processing technique with a user-friendly chemical, calcium nitrate tetrahydrate, by optimizing the process parameter such as time, temperature and chemical concentration. The comfort properties of the fabric were improved by modifying the secondary structure of the fibroin protein that was ascertained by Raman and C-13 NMR spectroscopies. Significantly higher drape and crease recovery properties were measured by Kawabata and FTT analysis. The products were developed in commercial scales (beside their costing) and displayed for 21 days to assess the market potential in terms of subjective assessment, product preference and price. The survey findings were statistically analysed using Minitab and Python software. The project findings in unequivocal terms recommend the chemical process using the safe chemical to treat the grey-finished fabrics to have improved utility, durability and comfort properties.

Abstract:

Uzbekistan is bare of forests and it takes the fifth place in the world in terms of cotton production, and the third place in terms of silk production after China and India. According to the government program the expansion of the land area for mulberry plantations boosts the growth of silk production causing an increase in the total amount of wastes, i.e. branches of mulberry trees industrially useless after the removal of leaves. Their use as a raw material for the cellulose pulp production is relevant, since it is aimed at solving not only the resource, but also the environmental problem. The bark was cut off from the mulberry branches and soaked in water for some time after which its exterior hard layer was scraped off and divided into the rough exterior layer and the softer inner layer. The inner layer was boiled for several hours. The boiled bast, after washing with water, was grinded in a laboratory grinding machine under the following conditions: mass concentration – 1 %, temperature – 22 °С. A given amount of lint cotton cellulose (grinding degree – 45 °SR) was added to the grinded bast. Paper molds with the mass of 80 g/m2 were obtained in laboratory conditions using a sheet-making apparatus. It was found out that the obtained paper that contains cotton cellulose pulp and inner layer of mulberry branch bark has low whiteness which depends on whiteness of the added fibers. It has been established that adding the cellulose pulp of the inner layer of mulberry branch bark at a grinding degree of 30 °SR contributes to the production of strong paper. It is recommended to add up to 30 % of cellulose pulp from the inner layer of mulberry branch bark to paper pulp as further addition adversely affects the paper whiteness.

Abstract:

Development of small scale industrial sector and providing multiple socio-economic benefits is one of the priorities of Indian planning. Though a number of measures were introduced to sustain healthy growth of this sector⁄ a significant k -portion of small scale units have started Ming sick. Consultants from various technical consultancy organizations⁄ small industry service institutes⁄ and private firms do play a major role in preventing and curing sickness. Based on a field study of 20 problematic units⁄this paper by Chhikara evalu ates certain important aspects of the consulting profession such as hiring consultants and utilizing their services; in volvement and commitment of promoters; the role of financial institutions and banks; overall impact of consultancy services; major gaps and limitations⁄ and additional requirements needed for making consultancy services more result-oriented.

Abstract:

Sericulture is a labour intensive agro-based rural industry, which provides periodical income throughout the year. In view of this, it is very much imperative to know the sericulture economics in order to motivate new farmers to take up sericulture and increase their income. Therefore, a study was conducted with the help of personal interview of 70 rainfed sericulture farmers in Udaipur district of Rajasthan, India. The study concluded that in garden establishment, highest share of cost was associated with human labour (INR 14,400.00) followed by that for FYM (INR 2418.75). Similarly human labour (51.93%) accounted for highest element of cost in leaf production activities too owing to high labour wages and shortage of manpower. Labour (25.33%) was second major cost component next to mulberry leaf (38.64%) in silk cocoon production. The average yield of silk cocoon obtained was 1289.04 kg/ha per year. The net return obtained was INR 52039.32 and benefit cost ratio was 1.49. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjar.v37i1.11176 Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 37(1): 49-54, March 2012

Abstract:

Seeking to prepare her friend Lucretia Tox for the revelation of Mr Dombey's engagement, Louisa Chick, Dombey's sister, turns to the natural world to illustrate the inevitability of change: It's a world of change. . . .Why, my gracious me, what is there that does not change! Even the silkworm, who I am sure might be supposed not to trouble itself about such subjects, changes into all sorts of unexpected things continually. (434; ch. 29) For Mrs Chick, the silkworm seems to exemplify the truism that change is a natural and inevitable part of life but, in the context of global sericulture, her example is perhaps more apposite than she realizes. Silk production not only radically terminates the natural metamorphosis from caterpillar to moth, it also constitutes an industry subject to the volatilities of global trade and regulation, the cycles of fashion, the impact of new technologies, not to mention the vagaries of disease, climate and habitat. While Britain had been importing raw silk from China in limited supplies from the eighteenth century onwards, by the time Dombey and Son was written, the devastation of sericultural crops in France and Italy by a disease which had been spreading since the 1820s allowed Britain to benefit from the treaty port system (established as a result of the Opium Wars) and re-export raw silk to the Continent (Ma 332–3). Thus, silk – circulating around the world, and linking producers of the raw material in India, China, or Japan with child labourers in Macclesfield, handloom weavers in Spitalfields, textile designers in France, and wealthy consumers in London – positions the humble silkworm within complex and dynamic networks of uncertain sustainability.

Abstract:

Point bar is a typical depositional landform of fluvial process. This physical feature is commonly found in the lower part of the Hooghly river. Point bars are very suitable location for brick kilns. There are many causes for choosing such a fragile landscape to set up this industry. Brick industry is an ancient industry in India. It is a distinctive type of enterprise of point bars and of inland vacant area as well, throughout the country. However, gradually the point-bar kilns are becoming a sick industry. The basic opportunities to set up the point-bar kilns have been highlighted in this article. Besides that, the article is also concerned about the problems coming out of the function of the point-bar kilns along with some probable remedies.

Abstract:

Corona viruses are Zoometric that means which are transmitted between animals and humans. Corona virus (COV) is a large family of viruses and COVID -19 is one of them that cause respiratory diseases arraign from the general cold to more stern diseases. COVID -19 that crippled the world economy in the terms of trade and commerce, employment, education and health. The only mechanism that drags out any sick economy from any crisis is its foreign investments. Foreign investments play an important role for the emerging and developing economies in booming their economies through the sources of international finance and portfolio investments. But this time FDI which is already seeing downcast with lower rate of returns will not act as a lubricant for the suffering economies. Uncertainties about the upcoming course and consequence of COVID-19 has made the financial market additional unpredictable, leading to huge collide and wealth wearing away which consecutively impacting consumption level. According to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, on 18th April 2020 the government of India had made certain changes in the foreign Investment policies to encourage opportunistic takeovers and acquisitions. This paper is entirely committed to bring out whether there is a significant impact of the COVID-19 on the Indian foreign investments. For such analyses, the monthly data have been taken for Net Foreign Direct Investments, Foreign Direct Investments by India, Net Portfolio Investments, FII, Portfolio Investments by India and Foreign Investment Inflows. The analysis is then extended in examining the impact of COVID -19 on Market Capitalization (BSE and NSE) and Market Turnover (BSE and NSE). For such analysis T- test and Mann-Whitney Test has been applied.

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AbstractTextile manufacturing in India and the Ottoman Empire transformed fundamentally in the nineteenth century, when mass-produced goods imported from Europe permeated local markets. Faced with increasing competition from abroad, local producers changed their techniques, materials, designs, and target customers. At the same time, processing industries emerged in places with intense mercantile activity, introducing new meanings, relations, and patterns of work. This article investigates the role played by gender in the shaping of labour markets and class politics in two export-oriented industries that developed simultaneously: the silk-reeling industry in Bursa and the cotton-spinning industry in Bombay. It shows that the secondary economic value attributed to women's work, combined with rural connections of workers, brought down wages and subsidized capitalist profits in both sectors. Within the emerging industrial workforce, ideas about appropriate roles for women and men provided the vocabulary and constituted boundaries of class politics. Bringing gender into the debate of industrial development and class, the article reveals parallels and contrasts in two non-European settings that are rarely compared in the existing historiographies.

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Chemistry is a science whose progress is exponential as it touches every aspect of our existence and provides all the things required for life to survive on this planet. Chemistry is rightly called the Science of Life. Chemical processes provide food, clothing, shelter medicines, and energy to sustain life. Feeding the ever-increasing population is a big challenge calling for increased production of crops, minimizing losses during their harvesting and storage and use of new, improved varieties like Genetically modified (GM) food grains and pulses. The use of fertilizers has increased manifold over the years, leading to an increase in the production of food. Clothing is made from plant fibres like cotton and silk. New and better varieties of cotton have been developed. Nylon, produced by the polymer industry is also a critical clothing material in some parts of the world. New materials like composites, fly ash bricks, and polymeric wastes are being increasingly used for construction purposes, especially for housing and roads. Research for the synthesis of new drugs to combat diseases is a continuous activity, and the pharmaceutical industry has a considerable investment, especially in our country. Indigenous medicine systems like Ayurveda, Homoeopathy and Unani are also contributing to health welfare, especially in India. Of late, nanomedicines are emerging as an essential area of medicine. Non-conventional energy sources like solar, nuclear, hydro, biodiesel and wind energy are being increasingly tapped as possible substitutes for the fast depleting coal and oil reserves. The International Solar Alliance, initiated by India, aims at forging a strong partnership between all nations to tap and use solar energy.

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Natural colorants have emanated as a significant substitute to highly toxic synthetic dyes. The present study highlights the dyeing efficiency of violet pigment produced from Chromobacterium violaceum PDF23. A halophilic bacterium C. violaceum PDF23 produce violet pigments were isolated from the Great Salt Lake situated in Chennai, India. Based on morphology and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, a halophilic bacterium was identified as C. violaceum PDF23. The violet dye from C. violaceum PDF23 exhibited antimicrobial efficacy against S. aureus, B. subtilis, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and C. albicans. The violet pigment exhibited radical scavenging potential with IC50 value of 14.40 μg/mL. The dye ability of colorant was evaluated using mordants on two distinct fabrics, i.e., silk satin and cotton, and colorfastness measurements were recorded. The CIE L ∗ a ∗ b ∗ qualities of the dyed fabrics were assessed, as well as their colorfastness quality. The current research findings suggest that violet pigment has potent antimicrobial and antioxidant activity and it could be used as alternative to synthetic dye in the textile industry.

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The passage of new private banks improves operational effectiveness and intensity in the Indian financial system. The new private area banks have presented state-of-theart and inventive administrations and products to catch the high market share of the overall banking industry. This progression the working example of the employees in the financial sector. The findings of the study shows that equilibrium work life balance, responsibility, Institutional help, and monetary help are determinants of the WLB of representatives in new private area banks. The outcomes demonstrate that there is a critical distinction between the financial status of employees and determinants of WLB in new private area banks. The outcomes likewise suggest that WLB, Organizational help, monetary help, and responsibility are fundamentally and emphatically affecting the work fulfillment of representatives in new private area banks. The new private area banks should offer work-family uphold programs in particular youngster care uphold and adaptable working timings to diminish employee pressure and encourage to the administration of family and work viably. Moreover, new private banks should actualize arrangements of anticipation of lewd behavior, yearly health checkups, and sick leaves successfully so that employees can satisfy with their roles and in turn increase the productiveness of their operations.

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Introduction: Handloom Industry provides large no. of employment to the rural and semi-rural people of India as well as Odisha. Handloom weavers of Odisha produce various handloom products which have demands in national and international market for their quality and design. The Handloom Industry of Odisha is one of the oldest way to earn bread among the people. It is always remained famous in producing World famous products like “Katki saree”, “Sambalpuri Saree”, various silk sarees, Tassar Saree, Tie-dye, Bomkai Cotton, glossy khanduas, “Gamchas”, furnishing and Handicrafts. The innovative weavers with their skilful blending of myths, faiths, symbols and imagery provide the fabric appealing dynamism. So far as designing and techniques are concerned, it varies from double ikat (tie and dye) involving highly intricate designs woven by the Bhulia weavers of undivided Sambalpur, Bolangir, Kalahandi and Phulbani districts (such as Pasapalli, Bichitrapuri, etc) to single ikat woven in Maniabandha, Nuapatna area of Cuttack district (Khandua designs) to extra warp and weft designs like Bomkai, silk of Berhampur, cotton of Khurda district, vegetable dyed fabrics of Kotpad (Koraput district), fine count sarees of Jagatsinghpur and Tassar fabrics of Gopalpur, Fakirpur in Kendujhar district. Odisha handlooms have a rich tradition. Its ‘Tie & Dye’ patterns are world famous. Their Tie & Dye patterns are popularly known as ‘IKAT’. The Ikat technique is commonly known as “BANDHA”in Odisha. Handloom weavers of Odisha produce various types of fabrics such as sarees (which constitute the major component), dress materials, scarfs, dhotis, towels, other fabrics of day to day use such as wall hangings, etc.In the technological driven society, handloom products are also trading over the e-marketing/virtual platform like by Amazon, Flipkart etc Research Gap: Numerousresearches have been undertaken by researchers about handloom Industry and handloom Weavers of Odisha. But, no such studies have conducted onrole of e-market in marketing of handloom products of Cuttack district of Odisha. Objective of the Study: This paperattempt to study therole of e-market in marketing of handloom products of Cuttack district of Odisha. Research Methodology: i) Nature of data: This present study is based on both primary data and secondary data. ii) Sample Size: The sample data size consists of 100respondents in the Cuttack District. iii)Sources of Primary Data:Primary data have beencollected through well-defined questionnaire and direct interviews methods from 100respondents (including handloom weavers, Students, Housewife, Businessman and Academician) of the Cuttack District. iv)Sources of Secondary Data:The secondary data have been collected from various secondary sources like journals, magazines, and from various reputed websites. The collected data have been classified and tabulated according to the requirements of the study. v) Statistical Tools:There are various statistical tools like mean; Chi-Square Test,Multi Correlation,Llikert5 points scale etc have been used for the analysis and interpretation of results. Conclusions: Handloom Products still have demand in the national and international market through E-market for their quality, price and design. The E-market is promoting the handloom products in the online platform which leads to more popular. Hence, the demands of handloom products in the technological era have the massive success for the Handloom Industry in Odisha. Thus, it may concluded that the E-market have the significant role in marketing of handloom products.

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Brucellosis is endemic among dairy animals in India, contributing to production losses and posing a health risk to people, especially farmers and others in close contact with dairy animals or their products. Growing urban populations demand increased milk supplies, resulting in intensifying dairy production at the peri-urban fringe. Peri-urban dairying is under-studied but has implications for disease transmission, both positive and negative. In this cross-sectional study, five Indian cities were selected to represent different geographies and urbanization extent. Around each, we randomly selected 34 peri-urban villages, and in each village three smallholder dairy farms (defined as having a maximum of 10 dairy animals) were randomly selected. The farmers were interviewed, and milk samples were taken from up to three animals. These were tested using a commercial ELISA for antibodies against Brucella abortus, and factors associated with herd seroprevalence were identified. In all, 164 out of 1163 cows (14.1%, 95% CI 12.2–16.2%) were seropositive for Brucella. In total, 91 out of 510 farms (17.8%, 95% CI 14.6–21.4%) had at least one positive animal, and out of these, just seven farmers stated that they had vaccinated against brucellosis. In four cities, the farm-level seroprevalence ranged between 1.4–5.2%, while the fifth city had a seroprevalence of 72.5%. This city had larger, zero-grazing herds, used artificial insemination to a much higher degree, replaced their animals by purchasing from their neighbors, were less likely to contact a veterinarian in case of sick animals, and were also judged to be less clean. Within the high-prevalence city, farms were at higher risk of being infected if they had a young owner and if they were judged less clean. In the low-prevalence cities, no risk factors could be identified. In conclusion, this study has identified that a city can have a high burden of infected animals in the peri-urban areas, but that seroprevalence is strongly influenced by the husbandry system. Increased intensification can be associated with increased risk, and thus the practices associated with this, such as artificial insemination, are also associated with increased risk. These results may be important to identify high-risk areas for prioritizing interventions and for policy decisions influencing the structure and development of the dairy industry.

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This study analyses five mergers in the Indian banking sector to capture the returns to shareholders as a result of the merger announcements using the event study methodology (Brown and Warner, 1980, 1985; and MacKinlay, 1997). These are mergers of the Times Bank with the HDFC Bank, the Bank of Madura with the ICICI Bank, the ICICI Ltd. with the ICICI Bank, the Global Trust Bank with the Oriental Bank of Commerce, and the Bank of Punjab with the Centurion Bank. The Fama and Miller (1972) market model and Cox and Portes. (1998) twofactor model form the theoretical framework of this study. The aim is to understand the shareholder wealth effects of bank mergers. Using the single-factor model, the study finds that the average cumulative abnormal return (CAR) of the bidder banks is positive and substantial. These results are also statistically significant. Thus, the bidder banks got significant positive abnormal returns. The two-factor model results reveal that the merger announcement in the Indian private sector banks generated a positive and statistically significant CAR of 5.24 per cent, 7.83 per cent, and 8.59 per cent in a one-day, two-day, and three-day run-up window respectively to the shareholders of the bidder banks. The single-factor model finds that the combined CAR for all the target banks is positive, significant, and substantial. The combined CAR has been propped up due to very high CAR registered by the Bank of Madura. The bidder banks created a wealth of Rs 4,117.98 million in a one-day window (singlefactor model) as a result of the merger announcements. In the case of target banks, the shareholders of the Global Trust Bank and the Bank of Punjab appear to be the losers; they lost Rs 382.55 million in a one-day run-up window (single-factor model) and Rs 128.74 million in a one-day window (single-factor model) respectively. The Oriental Bank of Commerce and the Global Trust Bank combined lost 14.78 per cent in value on a weighted average basis in a 11-day period (-5, 5) window. This merger was the first major move to bail out a sick bank. The merger announcements in the Indian banking industry have positive and significant shareholder wealth effect both for bidder and target banks. The market value weighted CAR of the combined bank portfolio as a result of merger announcement is 4.29 per cent in a threeday period (-1, 1) window and 9.71 per cent in a 11-day period (-5, 5) event window.

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Abstract This research focuses on the traditional songket weaving culture of Bengkalis, Riau Province, Indonesia. Songket is a type of traditional woven fabric with unique motifs and philosophies that represent the values of life, religion, education, and culture. The origin of songket weaving in Indonesia is still uncertain, some experts say that this weaving was brought by Arab traders who spread Islam and weaving techniques silk from China and India. The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the legal aspects of intellectual property rights and traditional cultural arts related to songket weaving motifs lejo Bengkalis. The research method used in this study is a qualitative approach with data collection techniques such as observation, interviews, and documentation. The results showed that legal protection regarding songket cloth motifs in Bengkalis is still inadequate, and there are several challenges in preserving the culture that There include lack of public awareness, law enforcement. With this research, it is expected to be a promoter for the community of the importance of supporting local industries, and developing a certification system for original songket products. Abstrak Penelitian ini berfokus kepada budaya tenun songket tradisional Bengkalis, Provinsi Riau, Indonesia. Songket adalah jenis kain tenun tradisional dengan motif dan filosofi unik yang mewakili nilai-nilai kehidupan, agama, pendidikan, dan budaya. Asal-usul tenun songket di indonesia masih belum pasti, beberapa ahli menyebutkan bahwa tenun ini dibawa oleh pedagang arab yang menyebarluaskan agama islam dan teknik tenun sutra dari China dan India. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk memperoleh pemahaman yang lebih dalam mengenai aspek hukum hak kekayaan intelektual dan seni budaya tradisional terkait dengan motif tenun songket lejo Bengkalis. Metode penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah pendekatan kualitatif dengan teknik pengumpulan data seperti obervasi, wawancara, dan dokumentasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa perlindungan hukum terhapat motif kain songket di Bengkalis masih kurang memadai, dan ada beberapa tantangan dalam melestarikan kebudayaan yang ada termasuk kurangnya kesadaran masyarakat, penegak hukum. Dengan adanya penelitian ini diharapkan menjadi promotor bagi masyarakt akan pentingnya mendukung industri lokal, dan mengembangkan sistem sertifikasi untuk produk songket asli

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Mulberry (Morus Sp.) is one of the economically important trees cultivated for the tasteful fruits, its several pharmaceutically important chemicals potential, timber, cosmetic and in silk industry for its foliage, also in various molecular breeding applications. The origins of most cultivated mulberry varieties are believed to be in the area of China-Japan and in the Himalaya foothills. and it now has a very wide distribution range in Asia-Europe (from Korea to Spain, including China, India, Central Asia, and Near East); in Africa (North and East Africa) and in America (from the U.S.A. to Argentina, including Mexico, Central America, Colombia and Brazil). In Saudi Arabia, Mulberry grown well and spread in different places such as Taif Province (El Shafa region), Eastern region; Al-Ehsaa Province and some southern areas. Nodal explants of Morus nigra were clonally propagated in vitro for plant regeneration. Auxiliary shoot buds have been promoted in Murashige and Scoog (MS) media in a variety of cultural contexts. The largest number of shoots (13.00 ± 0.47) with an average length of 2.00 ± 0.47 cm was initially obtained from a medium containing 2.0 mg / L N6-benzyladin (BA) and 3% sucrose. Recurrent subcultures provided the highest number of seedlings (approximately 29.30) for excavation after the fourth passage. Seedlings were rooted in 1/2 MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg / 1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). Successfully, about 90% of the plantlets acclimatized. Along with the determination of the genetic variations between three mulberry genotypes including two cultivated accessions (Morus alba) and one wild genotype (M. nigra) utilizing inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. Genetic variation and phylogenetic relationship of mulberry germplasm collection have been studied. All ISSR markers used in this study revealed higher genetic diversity in the wild species comparing with cultivated species. ISSR matrices reported that the mean genetic similarity coefficient was 0.7677 for all mulberry genotypes. Although some differences have been observed, much similarity has been obtained in dendrogram topology. Cluster analysis of the ISSR using UPGMA software revealed that wild species were genetically distinct. The correlation coefficients of similarity for the ISSR used are statistically important. The Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCA) for ISSR data also supports its UPGMA clustering. The average number of genetic variations recorded in mulberry genotypes was 0.287±0.096. Dendrogram (Unweighted peer group method analysis) classifies mulberry accessions into two main groups; Admissions collected from the western area of Taif, and the other comprised two sub-clusters including one isolate, i.e., M nigra, a collection from Al shafa. Contains access to another sub-cluster southwest regions of Taif, which belong to Morus nigra wild growing. These accessions of mulberry were found to be genetically similar to north and southwest Taif Province. These results have significant implications for improving the mulberry germ plasma characterization, conservation and investigates of the genetic diversity among the mulberry species grown in Taif governorate and to establish a micro-propagation system as germplasm conservation to preserve the assets of local mulberry and thus develops an easy and effective method to identify native genotypes in a limited space and time frame.

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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the risks of building defects associated with rapid advancement of “green” construction technologies. It identifies the methods adopted by the sector for the determination of pre-construction defects that are framed within the context of, traditional; scientific; and professional design approaches. These are critically evaluated and utilised in attempts to mitigate defects arising from diffusing low carbon construction innovations. Design/methodology/approach – The paper takes the form of an evaluative literature review. Polemic in orientation, the paper critically compares two periods of time associated with rapid advancement of innovation. The first, the post-Second World War housing boom is synonymous with a legacy of substandard buildings that in many cases rapidly deteriorated, requiring refurbishment or demolition shortly after construction. The second, is today’s “green” technology “shift” with its inherent uncertainty and increased risk of latent building defects and potential failure to deliver meaningful long-term performance. Central to this is an exploration of the drivers for innovation, and subsequent response, precautionary measures initiated, and the limitations of institutionalised systems to identify and mitigate defects. Similarities and differences between these historical periods frame a discussion around the theoretical approaches to defects and how these may be limited in contemporary low carbon construction. A conceptual framework is presented with the aim of enhancing the understanding for obviation of defects. Findings – Sufficient commonality exists between the periods to initiate a heightened vigilance in the identification, evaluation and ideally the obviation of defects. Design evaluation is not expressly or sufficiently defect focused. It appears that limited real change in the ability to identify defects has occurred since the post-war period and the ability to predict the performance of innovative systems and materials is therefore questionable. Attempts to appraise defects are still embedded in the three principle approaches: traditional; scientific; and professional design. Each of these systems have positive characteristics and address defect mitigation within constrains imposed by their very nature. However, they all fail to address the full spectrum of conditions and design and constructional complexities that lead to defects. The positive characteristics of each system need to be recognised and brought together in an holistic system that offers tangible advantages. Additionally, independent design professionals insufficiently emphasise the importance of defect identification and holistic evaluation of problems in design failure are influenced by their professional training and education. A silo-based mentality with fragmentation of professional responsibility debases the efficacy of defect identification, and failure to work in a meaningful, collaborative cross professional manner hinders the defect eradication process. Research limitations/implications – Whilst forming a meaningful contribution to stimulate debate, further investigation is required to tangibly establish integrated approaches to identify and obviate defects. Practical implications – The structured discussion and conclusions highlight areas of concern for industry practitioners, policy makers, regulators, industry researchers and academic researchers alike in addressing and realising a low carbon construction future. The lessons learned are not limited to a UK context and they have relevance internationally, particularly where rapid and significant growth is coupled with a need for carbon reduction and sustainable development such as the emerging economies in China, Brazil and India. Social implications – The carbon cost associated with addressing the consequences of emerging defects over time significantly jeopardises attempts to meet legally binding sustainability targets. This is a relatively new dimension and compounds the traditional economic and societal impacts of building failure. Clearly, blindly accepting this as “the cost of innovation without development” cannot be countenanced. Originality/value – Much research has been undertaken to evaluate post-construction defects. The protocols and inherent complexities associated with the determination of pre-construction defects have to date been largely neglected. This work attempts to rectify this situation.

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Sericulture is an important agro-based industry that involves raising silkworms to produce silk. Due to its favourable climatic and geographical circumstances, India is endowed with mulberry and non-mulberry silk production. The current COVID-19 dilemma has a significant global impact. This has impacted people from all walks of life, causing serious disruptions in all aspects of global economic activity, including the Economic growth of the country. From the standpoint of economic growth and development, the Indian government's statewide lockdown has devastating implications in all sectors of the country. The agro - based sector, like many other sectors in India, has been affected by the global pandemic. The COVID-19 outbreak has wreaked havoc on all aspects of the silk value chain due to disruptions in the demand-supply relationship. There had been major interruptions in the supply of inputs, cocoon and silk costs, raw silk production, and silk items marketing.

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COVID-19 pandemic has affected all the industries of India in general and the Indian textiles & handloom and handicraft industry in particular to a great extent. In the same measure, the silk industry is no exception and the pandemic intensely affected the demand and supply of Assam silk products too. All the industries have devised different strategies to counter the effect and revive the industries. Similarly, the Assam silk industry has also adopted some revival strategies during this pandemic. In this backdrop, this study is an attempt to explore the strategies adopted by Assam silk shopkeepers to revive the silk industry. It further analyses various government assistances to sustain the silk industry. Primary data were collected from 60 number of Assam silk shopkeepers of Sualkuchi area by in depth interview through unstructured schedule. The findings indicate that the Assam silk shopkeepers failed to devise effective strategies but rather relied more on Government assistance in large scale for revival during the pandemic

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Sericulture is a financially viable production and has enormous potential for employment opportunities. The present study attempted to investigate the profitability of the sericulture business in the Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu. A proportionate random sampling approach was used to select 80 sample sericulture farmers. The results revealed that the total cost of producing silk cocoons was ?98,805.1 , with a net profit of ? 1,17,194.84. The benefit-cost ratio and break-even output estimated 6 were 2.19:1 and 140.72 kg of the silk cocoon. It depicted that the farmers were operating in the profit zone, as the average yield of sample farmers was substantially higher. Labour scarcity, pest and disease incidence, and income loss owing to COVID 19 pandemic were major constraints faced by sericulture farmers. Sericulture enterprise provided immense opportunity by means of profitable income and more employment opportunities. The young unemployed rural entrepreneurs and women SHGs of this region if appropriately trained and provided financial support to initiate this enterprise would lead to the development of the silk cluster and indeed top position in the Indian silk industry.

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This research paper intends to bring forth the forgotten treasures of Vasantgarh, enveloping the tangible and intangible heritage of the region, especially focusing on the Art and Metal industry and their relationship with trade and trading networks that developed in the era of the ancient city of Chandrawati and their connection with other trading centres of Rajasthan State & the border area of Gujarat State, the route being a part of the Silk-road trade route of world history. The gathered data discloses the rich activity of art trade networks of Sirohi, the Western Indian Bronze School of Art and the area of Vasantgarh. The research paper includes a field survey and the collection of quantitative and qualitative data, which floodlit the immemorial history of the Rajputana State (Rajasthan) especially referring to the early traders of Sirohi who controlled the export and import of goods in the Medieval era. Vasantgarh, an ancient smelting site of Sirohi was an important centre for the mining and smelting of copper. The evidence of a strong smelting industry is backed by the discovery of abounding dumps of smelting slags. The alloy sculpting arts of Vasantgarh employs one of the oldest methods for metal binding still in use: the Lost Wax method. The other important metal-joining techniques require a deep archaeometallurgical study-for example, riveting, brazing, brazing flux, welding and soldering. The Vasantgarh School of Art is connected with the industrial production of finely crafted alloy metal sculptures that gleam like gold. The 240 sculptures, related to Jainism, were recovered from an unauthorised treasure hunt. The prosperous city owes its design to the region's rich trade, which is why it is carefully guarded with a number of towers and walls. The city had been fortified in order to protect against robbers and other kingdoms who might pose a threat.

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The curtain rose. The howling of desert wind filled the performance hall in the Shanghai Grand Theatre. Into the center stage, where a scenic construction of a mountain cliff and a desert landscape was dimly lit, entered the character of the Daoist priest Wang Yuanlu (1849–1931), performed by Chen Yizong. Dressed in a worn and dusty outfit of dark blue cotton, characteristic of Daoist priests, Wang began to sweep the floor. After a few moments, he discovered a hidden chambre sealed inside one of the rock sanctuaries carved into the cliff.Signaled by the quick, crystalline, stirring wave of sound from the chimes, a melodious Chinese ocarina solo joined in slowly from the background. Astonished by thousands of Buddhist sūtra scrolls, wall paintings, and sculptures he had just accidentally discovered in the caves, Priest Wang set his broom aside and began to examine these treasures. Dawn had not yet arrived, and the desert sky was pitch-black. Priest Wang held his oil lamp high, strode rhythmically in excitement, sat crossed-legged in a meditative pose, and unfolded a scroll. The sound of the ocarina became fuller and richer and the texture of the music more complex, as several other instruments joined in.Below is the opening scene of the award-winning, theatrical dance-drama Dunhuang, My Dreamland, created by China’s state-sponsored Lanzhou Song and Dance Theatre in 2000. Figure 1a: Poster Side A of Dunhuang, My Dreamland Figure 1b: Poster Side B of Dunhuang, My DreamlandThe scene locates the dance-drama in the rock sanctuaries that today are known as the Dunhuang Mogao Caves, housing Buddhist art accumulated over a period of a thousand years, one of the best well-known UNESCO heritages on the Silk Road. Historically a frontier metropolis, Dunhuang was a strategic site along the Silk Road in northwestern China, a crossroads of trade, and a locus for religious, cultural, and intellectual influences since the Han dynasty (206 B.C.E.–220 C.E.). Travellers, especially Buddhist monks from India and central Asia, passing through Dunhuang on their way to Chang’an (present day Xi’an), China’s ancient capital, would stop to meditate in the Mogao Caves and consult manuscripts in the monastery's library. At the same time, Chinese pilgrims would travel by foot from China through central Asia to Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, playing a key role in the exchanges between ancient China and the outside world. Travellers from China would stop to acquire provisions at Dunhuang before crossing the Gobi Desert to continue on their long journey abroad. Figure 2: Dunhuang Mogao CavesThis article approaches the idea of “abroad” by examining the present-day imagination of journeys along the Silk Road—specifically, staged performances of the various Silk Road journey-themed dance-dramas sponsored by the Chinese state for enhancing its cultural and foreign policies since the 1970s (Kuang).As ethnomusicologists have demonstrated, musicians, choreographers, and playwrights often utilise historical materials in their performances to construct connections between the past and the present (Bohlman; Herzfeld; Lam; Rees; Shelemay; Tuohy; Wade; Yung: Rawski; Watson). The ancient Silk Road, which linked the Mediterranean coast with central China and beyond, via oasis towns such as Samarkand, has long been associated with the concept of “journeying abroad.” Journeys to distant, foreign lands and encounters of unknown, mysterious cultures along the Silk Road have been documented in historical records, such as A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms (Faxian) and The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions (Xuanzang), and illustrated in classical literature, such as The Travels of Marco Polo (Polo) and the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West (Wu). These journeys—coming and going from multiple directions and to different destinations—have inspired contemporary staged performance for audiences around the globe.Home and Abroad: Dunhuang and the Silk RoadDunhuang, My Dreamland (2000), the contemporary dance-drama, staged the journey of a young pilgrim painter travelling from Chang’an to a land of the unfamiliar and beyond borders, in search for the arts that have inspired him. Figure 3: A scene from Dunhuang, My Dreamland showing the young pilgrim painter in the Gobi Desert on the ancient Silk RoadFar from his home, he ended his journey in Dunhuang, historically considered the northwestern periphery of China, well beyond Yangguan and Yumenguan, the bordering passes that separate China and foreign lands. Later scenes in Dunhuang, My Dreamland, portrayed through multiethnic music and dances, the dynamic interactions among merchants, cultural and religious envoys, warriors, and politicians that were making their own journey from abroad to China. The theatrical dance-drama presents a historically inspired, re-imagined vision of both “home” and “abroad” to its audiences as they watch the young painter travel along the Silk Road, across the Gobi Desert, arriving at his own ideal, artistic “homeland”, the Dunhuang Mogao Caves. Since his journey is ultimately a spiritual one, the conceptualisation of travelling “abroad” could also be perceived as “a journey home.”Staged more than four hundred times since it premiered in Beijing in April 2000, Dunhuang, My Dreamland is one of the top ten titles in China’s National Stage Project and one of the most successful theatrical dance-dramas ever produced in China. With revenue of more than thirty million renminbi (RMB), it ranks as the most profitable theatrical dance-drama ever produced in China, with a preproduction cost of six million RMB. The production team receives financial support from China’s Ministry of Culture for its “distinctive ethnic features,” and its “aim to promote traditional Chinese culture,” according to Xu Rong, an official in the Cultural Industry Department of the Ministry. Labeled an outstanding dance-drama of the Chinese nation, it aims to present domestic and international audiences with a vision of China as a historically multifaceted and cosmopolitan nation that has been in close contact with the outside world through the ancient Silk Road. Its production company has been on tour in selected cities throughout China and in countries abroad, including Austria, Spain, and France, literarily making the young pilgrim painter’s “journey along the Silk Road” a new journey abroad, off stage and in reality.Dunhuang, My Dreamland was not the first, nor is it the last, staged performances that portrays the Chinese re-imagination of “journeying abroad” along the ancient Silk Road. It was created as one of many versions of Dunhuang bihua yuewu, a genre of music, dance, and dramatic performances created in the early twentieth century and based primarily on artifacts excavated from the Mogao Caves (Kuang). “The Mogao Caves are the greatest repository of early Chinese art,” states Mimi Gates, who works to increase public awareness of the UNESCO site and raise funds toward its conservation. “Located on the Chinese end of the Silk Road, it also is the place where many cultures of the world intersected with one another, so you have Greek and Roman, Persian and Middle Eastern, Indian and Chinese cultures, all interacting. Given the nature of our world today, it is all very relevant” (Pollack). As an expressive art form, this genre has been thriving since the late 1970s contributing to the global imagination of China’s “Silk Road journeys abroad” long before Dunhuang, My Dreamland achieved its domestic and international fame. For instance, in 2004, The Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteśvara—one of the most representative (and well-known) Dunhuang bihua yuewu programs—was staged as a part of the cultural program during the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. This performance, as well as other Dunhuang bihua yuewu dance programs was the perfect embodiment of a foreign religion that arrived in China from abroad and became Sinicized (Kuang). Figure 4: Mural from Dunhuang Mogao Cave No. 45A Brief History of Staging the Silk Road JourneysThe staging of the Silk Road journeys abroad began in the late 1970s. Historically, the Silk Road signifies a multiethnic, cosmopolitan frontier, which underwent incessant conflicts between Chinese sovereigns and nomadic peoples (as well as between other groups), but was strongly imbued with the customs and institutions of central China (Duan, Mair, Shi, Sima). In the twentieth century, when China was no longer an empire, but had become what the early 20th-century reformer Liang Qichao (1873–1929) called “a nation among nations,” the long history of the Silk Road and the colourful, legendary journeys abroad became instrumental in the formation of a modern Chinese nation of unified diversity rooted in an ancient cosmopolitan past. The staged Silk Road theme dance-dramas thus participate in this formation of the Chinese imagination of “nation” and “abroad,” as they aestheticise Chinese history and geography. History and geography—aspects commonly considered constituents of a nation as well as our conceptualisations of “abroad”—are “invariably aestheticized to a certain degree” (Bakhtin 208). Diverse historical and cultural elements from along the Silk Road come together in this performance genre, which can be considered the most representative of various possible stagings of the history and culture of the Silk Road journeys.In 1979, the Chinese state officials in Gansu Province commissioned the benchmark dance-drama Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road, a spectacular theatrical dance-drama praising the pure and noble friendship which existed between the peoples of China and other countries in the Tang dynasty (618-907 C.E.). While its plot also revolves around the Dunhuang Caves and the life of a painter, staged at one of the most critical turning points in modern Chinese history, the work as a whole aims to present the state’s intention of re-establishing diplomatic ties with the outside world after the Cultural Revolution. Unlike Dunhuang, My Dreamland, it presents a nation’s journey abroad and home. To accomplish this goal, Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road introduces the fictional character Yunus, a wealthy Persian merchant who provides the audiences a vision of the historical figure of Peroz III, the last Sassanian prince, who after the Arab conquest of Iran in 651 C.E., found refuge in China. By incorporating scenes of ethnic and folk dances, the drama then stages the journey of painter Zhang’s daughter Yingniang to Persia (present-day Iran) and later, Yunus’s journey abroad to the Tang dynasty imperial court as the Persian Empire’s envoy.Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road, since its debut at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on the first of October 1979 and shortly after at the Theatre La Scala in Milan, has been staged in more than twenty countries and districts, including France, Italy, Japan, Thailand, Russia, Latvia, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and recently, in 2013, at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York.“The Road”: Staging the Journey TodayWithin the contemporary context of global interdependencies, performing arts have been used as strategic devices for social mobilisation and as a means to represent and perform modern national histories and foreign policies (Davis, Rees, Tian, Tuohy, Wong, David Y. H. Wu). The Silk Road has been chosen as the basis for these state-sponsored, extravagantly produced, and internationally staged contemporary dance programs. In 2008, the welcoming ceremony and artistic presentation at the Olympic Games in Beijing featured twenty apsara dancers and a Dunhuang bihua yuewu dancer with long ribbons, whose body was suspended in mid-air on a rectangular LED extension held by hundreds of performers; on the giant LED screen was a depiction of the ancient Silk Road.In March 2013, Chinese president Xi Jinping introduced the initiatives “Silk Road Economic Belt” and “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” during his journeys abroad in Kazakhstan and Indonesia. These initiatives are now referred to as “One Belt, One Road.” The State Council lists in details the policies and implementation plans for this initiative on its official web page, www.gov.cn. In April 2013, the China Institute in New York launched a yearlong celebration, starting with "Dunhuang: Buddhist Art and the Gateway of the Silk Road" with a re-creation of one of the caves and a selection of artifacts from the site. In March 2015, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China’s top economic planning agency, released a new action plan outlining key details of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative. Xi Jinping has made the program a centrepiece of both his foreign and domestic economic policies. One of the central economic strategies is to promote cultural industry that could enhance trades along the Silk Road.Encouraged by the “One Belt, One Road” policies, in March 2016, The Silk Princess premiered in Xi’an and was staged at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing the following July. While Dunhuang, My Dreamland and Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road were inspired by the Buddhist art found in Dunhuang, The Silk Princess, based on a story about a princess bringing silk and silkworm-breeding skills to the western regions of China in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) has a different historical origin. The princess's story was portrayed in a woodblock from the Tang Dynasty discovered by Sir Marc Aurel Stein, a British archaeologist during his expedition to Xinjiang (now Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region) in the early 19th century, and in a temple mural discovered during a 2002 Chinese-Japanese expedition in the Dandanwulike region. Figure 5: Poster of The Silk PrincessIn January 2016, the Shannxi Provincial Song and Dance Troupe staged The Silk Road, a new theatrical dance-drama. Unlike Dunhuang, My Dreamland, the newly staged dance-drama “centers around the ‘road’ and the deepening relationship merchants and travellers developed with it as they traveled along its course,” said Director Yang Wei during an interview with the author. According to her, the show uses seven archetypes—a traveler, a guard, a messenger, and so on—to present the stories that took place along this historic route. Unbounded by specific space or time, each of these archetypes embodies the foreign-travel experience of a different group of individuals, in a manner that may well be related to the social actors of globalised culture and of transnationalism today. Figure 6: Poster of The Silk RoadConclusionAs seen in Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road and Dunhuang, My Dreamland, staging the processes of Silk Road journeys has become a way of connecting the Chinese imagination of “home” with the Chinese imagination of “abroad.” Staging a nation’s heritage abroad on contemporary stages invites a new imagination of homeland, borders, and transnationalism. Once aestheticised through staged performances, such as that of the Dunhuang bihua yuewu, the historical and topological landscape of Dunhuang becomes a performed narrative, embodying the national heritage.The staging of Silk Road journeys continues, and is being developed into various forms, from theatrical dance-drama to digital exhibitions such as the Smithsonian’s Pure Land: Inside the Mogao Grottes at Dunhuang (Stromberg) and the Getty’s Cave Temples of Dunhuang: Buddhist Art on China's Silk Road (Sivak and Hood). 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Abstract:

Bargaining power of buyers is a very pertinent component to understand the competition in any industry to make effective strategic decisions. This study is an attempt to analyze the bargaining power of buyers in the Assam silk industry which holds a significant position not only in India but across the world because of its unique and quality products. Data were collected from 80 number of Assam silk sellers from Sualkuchi area of the state of Assam in India by focus group interview method through open ended unstructured schedule. The content analysis method is used for the study using Porter’s five forces framework. The findings indicates that there is existence of high bargaining power of buyers as there is availability of numerous silk substitutes at cheap price easily available at silk market of Assam with less distinguishing features, designs, texture and colours. Moreover, it is found that there is less or no switching cost for Assam silk customers and easy backward integration. As a result, the Assam silk industry is becoming less profitable and attractive for these customers who are highly price sensitive. In this regard, the Assam silk industry stakeholders and policy makers should undertake defensive strategies to mitigate the bargaining issues and offer quality products & services at lower prices to customers to sustain this age old industry