Silk Industry of India

India’s Silk Industry is world’s second largest after China. The total production of silk in India stood at around 23,000 tonnes in the year 2011-12. Silk production of China is declining rapidly in recent times.

Silk Varieties of India

India produces four varieties of silk produced, viz. Mulberry, Eri, Tasar and Muga. Sericulture Provides gainful occupation to around 63 Lakh persons in rural and semi-urban areas in India.

• Muga is unique in having a golden sheen and is a prized possession of India. Muga is largely restricted to Assam and other north-eastern states and recently spread to West Bengal.
• About 80% of the silk produced in the country is of mulberry silk, majority of which is produced in the three southern States of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu followed by West Bengal and Jammu & Kashmir. Mulberry sericulture is practised since time immemorial in the North Eastern Region (NER).
• The tropical Tasar silk is produced largely in the central India covering the tribal areas of Jharkhand , Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, etc. Oak Tasar is produced in Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, etc.
• Eri is grown in Assam and the adjacent north-eastern states, Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha.

Employment

Sericulture Provides gainful occupation to around 63 Lakh persons in rural and semi-urban areas in India.

Central Silk Board

Central Silk Board is a statutory body, under the administrative control of the Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India. Established in 1948, by an Act of Parliament, the CSB has been entrusted with the overall responsibility of developing silk industry

covering the full gamut of sericulture activities in the country from development of food plants to silk cocoons for production of silk yarn including formation of policies governing Import & Export of silk. CSB is basically an R&D Organization. One of the important activities of the CSB is undertaking, assisting and encouraging scientific, technological and economic research in the Silk Sector.

India’s Important Silk Centers:

Catalytic Development Programme for Silk

Catalytic Development Programme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme being implemented by Central Silk Board, Bangalore in collaboration with the respective State Sericulture Departments from IX Plan. The Catalytic Development Programme (CDP) is a unique and effective tool for transfer of technologies in the field evolved by the research institutes. The Central Silk Board had formulated a number of schemes/components under Catalytic Development Programme (CDP) and implemented during IX Plan to motivate States to increase productivity and quality besides providing market support. This programme is continuing in the XIth Plan Period.

The total outlay for implementation of the CDP during the XI Plan is pegged at Rs.  1476.24 crores of which CSB’s share is Rs.  661.62 crores.

R&D Institutes of Central Silk Board in India

1. Central Sericultural Research & Training Institute, Mysore, Karnataka
2. Central Sericultural Research & Training Institute, Berhampore, West Bengal
3. Central Sericultural Research & Training Institute, Pampore, J & K
4. Central Silk Technological Research Institute, Bangalore, Karnataka
5. Central Tasar Research & Training Institute, Ranchi, Jarkhand
6. Central Muga Eri Research & Training Institute, Ladoigarh, Jorhat, Assam
7. Silkworm Seed Technological Laboratory, Kodathi, Bangalore, Karnataka

National Silkworm Seed Organisation, Bangalore

National Silkworm Seed Organisation is a separate entity under Central Silk Board, established in the year 1975 to supplement the efforts of State Governments in supplying high quality Bivoltine andMultibivoltine silkworm seeds to the farmers. It has a mandate to maintain, multiply and supply authorized silkworm stocks, production and supply of quality industrial silkworm seeds and transfer of technologies in the field to improve the productivity and quality of silk.

20 Silkworm Seed Production Centres (SSPCs) are functioning under NSSO in different States to support the industry.

Silk Mark Organization of India (SMOI)

“Silk Mark” Scheme was initiated in June 2004 by the Ministry of Textiles-Govt. of India with the aim of protection of the interests of the consumers and other stakeholders of the silk value-chain. Silk Mark is a Quality Assurance Label signifying that a product to which it is affixed is made of pure silk was launched by the Silk Mark Organisation of India (SMOI), a registered Society sponsored by the Central Silk Board under the Ministry of Textiles.

Since the launch of Silk Mark in June 2004, over 1300 members have joined the Organisation, of whom, more than 1,200 have become Authorized Users.

Indian Silk Export Promotion Council (ISPEC), Mumbai

The Indian Silk Export Promotion Council(ISEPC) was established by the Government of India in 1983 with the prime object of promoting and regulating the exports of natural silk goods and to promote India’s image as a reliable supplier of high quality silk goods like fabrics, made-ups, readymade garments and machine made carpets. Today 2000 firms are members of the ISEPC and US $ 500 million worth of silk goods are exported annually to more than 100 countries.

It releases monthly magazines known as the “Silk Net”. The silk sample catalogues containing sample swatches of the full range of silks available in India brought out by the Council are available to potential buyer, importing textile agents and Indian Mission abroad.