Varanasi: After ensuring trademark registration as 'Silk Banarasi' for international branding of Banarasi saris, the Uttar Pradesh State Sericulture Cooperative Federation, under the silk department, is now focusing on developing a portal for the global marketing of pure silk products.Opening showrooms in coordination with the tourism, khadi and handloom departments is also on the cards at prime sites with high footfall of tourists, pilgrims and other buyers, including in Ayodhya, Varanasi, Lucknow, Kushinagar, Noida and Delhi.Providing details of the ambitious initiative to expand the market of pure silk woven on handlooms in Varanasi and surrounding regions, including Mubarakpur, in the traditional Banarasi style, director, Silk UP, Sunil Kumar Verma said, "Banarasi sari and textile industry is already GI tagged and part of ODOP.

We went for a brand name as it attracts customers due to the brand's consistency and reliability. Selling it under a brand name will guarantee the buyer a pure silk, certified by the Central Silk Board, providing a mark of authenticity and quality assurance.

" Pricing will be transparent, maintaining a margin of only 10%-15%, said Verma. Apart from genuine pricing and purity assurance, the identity of weavers will also be highlighted.

Information about the sari, such as its design pattern, weaving style and historical significance, will be shared. A QR code will be attached to each product. By scanning the QR code, buyers will be able to watch a 10-15 second video of the weaving process, confirming it is a handloom product. This will differentiate between handloom and power loom products, preventing misbranding. Such measures will enhance the brand's reputation.To finalise the strategy of marketing and future targets after the registration of the brand name and logo, Verma also held a meeting with the team of the silk directorate, weaver committees and silk traders. The meeting discussed topics such as connecting weaver committees with the federation, making committees and traders commercial partners in brand promotion and listing weavers' products on the marketing portal.