India’s Silk Value Chain Projected To Double By 2030

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