Central Silk Board (CSB) in cooperation with Tirupur-based NIFT-TEA Knitwear Institute are conducting joint research to develop more diversified silk blended products that could be manufactured with knitting technology, according to Shankar Kotrannavar, Assistant Director of CSB.

The technology to make the product has been evolved during a research conducted to bring out innovative products using silk with knitting as the base. They will be soon releasing a new product range of inner wears for women developed out of Eri silk using knitting technology.

The new set of lingerie developed out of Eri silk termed as ‘initimate wears’ would be giving all wearing comfort which include lightness and good thermal properties giving warm feel during winter and coolness in summer.

Moreover, the products are eco- and skin-friendly besides being soft, Mr. Kotrannavar pointed out at an event by the Board and NIFT-TEA Institute at Sripuram Trust office organized to explain the product diversification possibilities using silk as raw material for knitwear products to garment producers.

Even though the Board usually promotes products with pure silk as raw material, they are trying to come out with products made of silk blended with other natural fibres such as cotton, modal and bamboo only based on the industry demand that was based on the trends.

As the fabric made of pure silk are little costlier, the industry was looking for blended products to cut down cost at the same time could offer the consumers the ‘luxury of silk’.

Till now, clusters like Tirupur are predominantly into cotton-based knitwear products. This will give value-addition to the knitwear industry.

Earlier, the Silk Board had come out with a diversified product for the handloom woven sari cluster in Madhya Paradesh using pure silk spun yarn in place of cotton which was traditionally used for making Chanderi saris.