Entrepreneurial Opportunities in Sericulture Industry

India has glorious sericulture tradition of its own, which no other country in the world can share. Silk is indispensable in ceremonies and religious rituals, being a must in weddings and festivals. India’s traditional and culture bound domestic market and an amazing diversity of silk garments that reflect geographic specificity helped the country to achieve a leading position in silk industry. Sericulture is one of the most labour intensive sectors, combining activities of both agriculture and industry. The production process involves a long chain of interdependent, specialized operations which provide a means of livelihood to a large section of the population, i.e., silkworm seed producers, farmers-cum-rearers, reelers, twisters, weavers, spinners of silk waste, traders, etc. It is practiced in about 52,360 villages all over the country and employment to about 7.56 million people, most of them being small and marginal farmers in rural areas, creating employment to at least for 12-13 people per hectare of mulberry; hence migration of people from rural to urban areas in search of jobs can be minimized. In view of the significance of the sericulture industry in providing employment/entrepreneurial opportunities in the production process of silk and silk fabric, an attempt was made to discuss the entrepreneurial opportunities in the Industry