India Targets No. 1 Position In Global Silk Production By 2028-29

India has set its sights on becoming the world’s largest silk-producing country by 2028-29, with the government targeting an increase in domestic silk production to 60,000 metric tonnes by 2030-31.

Union Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh announced the targets while inaugurating the 77th Foundation Day programme of the Central Silk Board (CSB) and an exhibition of silk products and technologies at the University of Agricultural Sciences-GKVK Auditorium in Bengaluru.

According to Singh, India’s annual silk production has increased from around 26,000 metric tonnes in 2014 to approximately 42,000 metric tonnes currently. The government aims to accelerate this growth by improving mulberry leaf yields, increasing cocoon-rearing cycles and introducing improved technologies and production practices.

The minister said the government is also working towards increasing the annual income of sericulture farmers to Rs 10 lakh–12 lakh by improving productivity and strengthening the value chain from sericulture to reeling and weaving.

Singh called for Best Silk Farmer competitions to be organised at district, state and national levels to encourage greater productivity and competitiveness among sericulture farmers.

He also stressed the need to ensure that innovations developed by scientists, improved hybrid varieties and modern machinery reach farmers directly. According to the minister, strengthening the complete silk value chain will be critical to expanding India’s global presence and supporting the government’s broader ambition of taking the country’s textile market to US$ 300 billion.

Singh also highlighted the importance of providing greater economic security to weavers and workers associated with the silk and textile value chain.

Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje said Karnataka continues to hold the leading position in India’s silk production. She said the government is focusing on infrastructure development, industrial growth and the adoption of modern technologies to further strengthen the state’s sericulture sector.

Karandlaje highlighted high-density production methods and efforts to produce silk meeting international export standards. She said these initiatives could help increase domestic production while reducing dependence on imports.

She also pointed to the growing participation of entrepreneurs under the MSME framework and government initiatives involving subsidies and quality improvement measures. Improving market access for local producers and creating employment opportunities in sericulture and related textile activities remain key priorities, she said.

Padmini Singla, Joint Secretary (Silk), Ministry of Textiles and Vice Chairperson of the Central Silk Board, said the target of 60,000 metric tonnes of silk production by 2030-31 would be supported by high-yielding silkworm hybrids and modern machinery.

She also highlighted the integration of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), geographic information systems (GIS) and machine learning to support quality inspection and improve production capacity.

The 77th Foundation Day programme brought together silk farmers and weavers from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. The event also featured an exhibition showcasing silk products and technologies.

During the programme, the Central Silk Board signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with various organisations, while appointment letters were distributed to 28 scientists. Awards were also presented to outstanding employees and stakeholders, and several CSB publications and periodicals were released.