Faring well on the silk route

Preetinder Kaur

Silk technology deals in the production of silk through silk worms and other artificial sources. The ancient fabric has always enjoyed a worldwide demand. Being a natural protein fiber, it is extensively used for weaving. 

In earlier times, silk was only produced through silk worms, the natural process of rearing silk. Today, with the advancement in technology, several methods  have been devised to produce silk. The artificial methods are also commercially viable. 

Silk Technology Engineering is a Government of India initiative, conceptualised to meet the ever-growing demand of silk and to produce qualified engineers. The engineers of this stream are qualified to develop various methods of silk production at minimal cost. 

Educational qualification

Students have to clear their Class XII with physics, chemistry and maths, which is the minimum eligibility to enter into this course. However, there are courses that demand of biology as well. The percentage requirements vary according to the university or college. Institutes that promise better placement opportunities later on usually have higher cut offs.

Duration

Usually, Bachelors of Engineering in India has a span period of four academic years, which includes eight semesters that is two semesters for a year. At the end of each semester, a university-theory-cum-practical examination for the respective subjects is conducted. At the end of the final year, a final project is compulsory. Internships and smaller projects to be done by the student vary from one university to the other. 

Again, curriculum too depends on the syllabus of each university and how many main subjects it allots per semester. In any case, a minimum of five subjects are expected to be a part of the curriculum, knowledge of which would be tested through written examination conducted at the end of the semester.

Some of the major subjects under silk technology that a student has to study are fiber science, yarn manufacture, yarn structure and properties, fabric manufacture and fabric structure, textile testing and  dyeing. 

Higher studies 

After pursuing BTech in Silk Technology, a student can opt for a job or can go for higher studies like ME or MTech and even PhD in Silk Technology. Options for specialisation are galore, ranging from mulberry cultivation to food-plant cultivation and several ingenious processes of weaving.  

Job prospects

Fortunately, there are ample employment opportunities available for those who have the degree of technical engineer in silk technology. Many companies are looking for graduates with expertise in silk technology. Some major names in the field are Bombay Dying, Mysore Silk Factory, Silk Mark, Grasim Industries, Arvind Mills Ltd., Lakshmi Mills. They are among the top recruiters in India. The graduates of silk technology are employed in the industrial sectors and get exceptional employment opportunities all around the globe. Several multi-national companies and fashion houses demand for the fabric all round the year. And to meet that Silk engineers are required to meet the demands. 

Institute watch

There are many colleges that are offering graduate courses in silk technology 

• Government Sri Krishnarajendra Silver Jubliee Technological Institute, Bangalore
• Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belgaum
• Bihar Institute of Silk and Textiles, Bihar
• Uttar Pradesh Technical University, Lucknow