Zari craft industry faces crisis in Surat

SURAT - The famed Zari industry of Surat, a precious metal-based embroidery and lining for textiles, faces crisis due to increase in prices of gold, silver and copper.

In the last six years, the Zari industry has seen a rise of almost 50 percent in its manufacturing costs while there has been no substantial increase in its demand.

Shantilalbhai Zariwala, President of Surat Zari Goods Manufacturers Association said that the increase of over 30 percent in the prices of raw materials would leave no profit margins for the makers and also the traders.

“The problem is that the rate of raw material in the market has increased a lot. There has been an increase in the prices of silver, copper and gold by almost 30 percent. Thus we are facing a lot of trouble in making Zari. Also the demand is very less and due to this we don’t fetch a good price,” he added.

Along with the metals, there has also been an increase in prices of silk, which is also used as a raw material in the manufacture of Zari.

Traditional craftsmen who have mastered the art of rolling out Zari work meticulously to make a tinsel thread out of fine gold, silver and copper wires.

The government recently registered the Zari making process of Surat as a craft under the Geographical Indication (GI) Act.

The move was taken to safeguard the interest of the craftsmen as the Indian markets were fast drowning under inferior Zari rolled out by Chinese manufacturers, flooding the Indian markets.

The bulk of Zari produced from Surat goes to Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and is extensively used in saris and allied dress materials.

There are at least 500 composite and semi-composite manufacturing units in Surat.

Apart, from this there are around 3,000 small household units of Zari manufacturers in Surat, functioning as cottage industry and they produce real Zari, imitation Zari’ and plastic (synthetic) Zari. (ANI)