Bharat Tex 2025: SILKTECH Conference Pushes Silk Industry Growth
The Central Silk Board (CSB) successfully hosted SILKTECH 2025, an international conference on emerging technologies in the silk sector, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, as part of Bharat Tex 2025. Pabitra Margherita, Union Minister of State for Textiles & Foreign Affairs, inaugurated the event, alongside Neelam Shami Rao, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles.
Organized by CSB’s Central Tasar Research & Training Institute, Ranchi, and Central Silk Technological Research Institute (CSTRI), the conference focused on innovations aimed at enhancing sustainability and competitiveness in silk production.
In his address, Margherita emphasized the importance of muga and eri silks from Northeast India and highlighted the adoption of zero-waste technologies across the silk value chain. He reiterated the Prime Minister’s call to triple textile production and exports by fostering quality research and global collaborations.
Neelam Shami Rao spoke about the transformative impact of the Silk Samagra scheme on India’s sericulture sector. She stressed the need to integrate silk by-products into mainstream industries using advanced technologies.
A key highlight of the event was the signing of six MoUs between CSB’s R&D institutes and leading research organizations and NGOs to drive innovation and industry collaboration. Additionally, two significant publications—Souvenir cum Book of Abstracts on Emerging Technologies in the Silk Sector – SILKTECH 2025 and Pradhyogiki Vivranak (Technology Descriptor)—were unveiled during the conference.
The conference featured discussions on cutting-edge applications of silk beyond textiles, including its use in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Experts deliberated on sustainable innovations, quality enhancement, and global market trends, aligning with India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision for self-sufficiency in silk production.
The event was attended by key officials, including Prajakta L. Verma, IAS, Joint Secretary (Fibres), Ajay Gupta, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, and P. Sivakumar, Member Secretary, Central Silk Board.
