Context: Bengaluru has become the first Indian city to get into the global network of silk cities.
It is expected that West Bengal’s Murshidabad district — known to produce fine silk in over the past 300 years — may join the global silk city network.
The International Sericultural Commission was held at Lyon in the 1950s and came to Bengaluru.
The Silk City network
It is the global Silk City network so far has 13 “best silk-producing cities” which have the “same philosophy to protect silk and its related heritage” from all over the globe across nine countries as its member (after the introduction of Bengaluru).
The network helps artisans and craftsmen to exchange knowledge, build trade relations and understand various craftsmanship techniques.
Silk at the global stage offers an “open market” and said the quality of Chinese is on a decline and “silk-producing cities here in India including Murshidabad can play a huge role as a change-maker”.