India’s Silk Value Chain Projected To Double By 2030

Brief Context

Context Recently, the Central Silk Board has announced an ambitious plan to double India’s silk value chain, currently valued at ₹55,000 crore, to ₹1.1 lakh crore by 2030. Central Silk Board (CSB) It is a statutory body under the Union Ministry of Textiles, established by the Central Silk Board Act, 1948 (later amended as Central Silk Board (Amendment) Act, 2006). It is responsible for formulating policies and implementing programs for the development of sericulture and silk industry.

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Syllabus: GS3/Agriculture; Economy

Context

• Recently, the Central Silk Board has announced an ambitious plan to double India’s silk value chain, currently valued at ₹55,000 crore, to ₹1.1 lakh crore by 2030.

About Silk & Sericulture

• Sericulture is the art and science of silk production through rearing silkworms, sustaining millions of rural households by combining agriculture, forestry, and cottage industry elements.
• Historical and Cultural Legacy:
  • India’s association with silk dates back over 5,000 years, referenced in ancient texts like the Atharva Veda and Mahabharata.
  • Its strategic position along the historic Silk Route established it as a hub of silk trade, craftsmanship, and cultural exchange.
  • Indian silks, especially Kanchipuram, Banarasi, Patola, Muga, and Eri symbolize aesthetic refinement and traditional heritage.
• Types of Silk Produced in India: Mulberry Silk (70% of India’s total output); Tasar (Tussar) Silk (Derived from wild silkworms); Eri Silk (aka ‘Ahimsa Silk’); and Muga Silk (A Geographical Indication (GI) product).
• As per the NITI Aayog’s Eleventh Five-Year Plan, sericulture aligns with sustainable livelihood generation due to:
  • Low initial investment and short gestation periods.
  • High employment potential (11 man-days per kg of raw silk).
  • Significant contributions to rural women’s empowerment and self-employment.

Major Silk Producing Regions

• South India (Mulberry): Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh;; Karnataka alone contributes ~35% of India’s total silk.
• Eastern India (Tasar): Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal; Tribal-based production; extensive forest-based rearing.
• North-East India (Muga, Eri): Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur; Traditional sericulture; home to rare Muga silkworm.
• Northern India (Mulberry): Jammu & Kashmir; Produces fine mulberry silk for carpets and garments.

Current Production and Employment Significance

• India currently produces 41,121 metric tonnes of raw silk, with over 70% being mulberry silk, and the remainder comprising Eri, Tasar, and Muga silk.
  • The production outlook for 2030 is projected at 54,000 metric tonnes.
• India is today the second-largest producer of silk globally, accounting for nearly 25% of global silk output, next only to China.
• Over 6 million people, primarily small farmers, women, and tribal communities, are engaged in the silk sector.
  • It provides year-round employment, especially in rainfed and semi-arid regions.

Challenges in the Sericulture Sector

• Climate Sensitivity: Silkworm rearing is weather-dependent; droughts and temperature fluctuations affect cocoon yields.
• Market Volatility: Price instability affects small rearers.
• Technological Gaps: Need for improved silkworm seed quality, mechanization, and reeling efficiency.
• Competition from Synthetic Fibres: Shifts in consumer preferences toward cheaper materials.

Government Initiatives and Policy Framework

• Silk Samagra 2 Scheme (2021–2026): A ₹2,161 crore initiative promoting seed production, weaving technology, and export.
• North East Region Textile Promotion Scheme (NERTPS): Strengthens Muga and Eri silk clusters.
• Sericulture Cluster Development Programme (SCDP): Enhances infrastructure in Karnataka, Jharkhand, and Assam.
• Silk Samagra: A comprehensive scheme to strengthen the entire silk value chain—from farm to fabric.
• SAMARTH: A skill development initiative to train youth and women in sericulture and silk processing.

Source: TH