The wool industry and woolens manufacturers across the world get due warmth with arrival of the winters, even with the temperatures sliding down. The surge in the industry is attributed to the very fall in temperatures across the globe. The suppliers as well as the buyers feel the urge to get ready even before the first knock of winters on the door. They have their own reasons to get their act together. An Indian manufacturer would want to make available a quality-winning product for International Trade Leads, while the end user gets ready with the best available product to fight the chilly winters.

Wool is a fiber with qualities distinguishing it from fur, or even hair. Wool is a fibrous protein that is obtained from skin cells of sheep. The scales and crimp of wool make it a versatile fiber, and also give the fibers an advantage of spinning them together, attached with each other. The fabric is moisture absorbent, and provides a temperature higher than most other fibers available.

Wool is obtained primarily from sheep and few other animals like goats, and even rabbits. The wool is obtained by sheering the animal. Determining quality of the wool obtained may include different factors, of which, diameter of the fiber is considered an important characteristic to determine its quality, and subsequently the price of the wool.

Procuring wool from animals happens around the world, with Australia being the highest manufacturer. The country has the majority in manufacturing a variety of woolen products. It is also known to produce wool of the best quality, the Merino wool.

Australia’s total production of the greasy wool for 2009-10 reached 340 million kg. The other major wool producing countries include China, New Zealand, Russia, Argentina, UK, Uruguay, and South Africa, with Australia at the lead, and their share being approximately 21.5%, 18.5%, 10%, 8%, 2.5%, 3%, 2%, and 2% respectively.

Indian Woolen Industry is comparatively small in size with an uneven share countrywide. The industry is located primarily in the Northern states, with Punjab’s share of the industry being the highest of 40%, and Haryana with a share of 27%, Rajasthan gets 10%, with remaining 23% share of the woolen industry is scattered among other states.

The industry employs approximately 27 lakh people in sectors like wool sheering and combing, spindles including worsted and non-worsted, as well as carpet manufacturing that include both machine made and hand knotted rugs.

Indian Manufacturers provide a variety of woolen products falling in the category of woolen garments as well as rugs and carpets. The products are inclusive of woolen yarn, worsted yarn, wool tops, fabric – both woolen and worsted, shoddy yarn, shoddy and woolen blankets, shoddy fabric, knitwear, woven wear, carpets - hand knotted and machine made

Central Wool Development Board is the nodal agency coming under the aegis of Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India.

 The aims and objectives of the Board include:

Integrated Approach on wool production, schemes formulation and work extension.  Implementing and evaluating schemes with an aim at Augmentation of wool production, and Quality Up gradation. The board’s objectives include promoting or undertaking arrangements on marketing for the industry, in addition to stabilization of wool and woolen products. Standardization of wool and woolen products.

The board encourages scientific, technological as well as economic research on matters of animal husbandry, production, utilization, and marketing of wool, with its view on quality improvement, yield, and utilization. The Board provides significant support to Indian Exporters and Indian Suppliers with developing new markets while improving the existing ones.

With production of 48.5 million kg during 2008-09, India’s wool production reflects a growth of 7.5%. However, pashmina wool production at 50 tonnes, country‘s share was a pittance of the global pashmina production, reaching 1%.