Resolved to elevate India to the No. 1 position in global silk production: Shri Giriraj Singh, Union Minister of Textiles

Minister calls for organizing ‘Best Silk Farmer’ award competitions to foster a competitive spirit among sericulture farmers

Karnataka holds the leading position in the country’s total silk production: Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, Union Minister of State

Inauguration of the 77th Foundation Day of the Central Silk Board and an Exhibition of Silk Products and Technologies held in Bengaluru today

On this occasion, Shri G. Lakshminarayana, Member of Parliament and CSB Board Member; Sushri. Padmini Singla, Joint Secretary (Silk), Ministry of Textiles and Vice Chairperson of CSB; Shri P. Shivakumar, Member Secretary of the Board; Shri Girish R., Secretary of the Department of Horticulture and Sericulture, Government of Karnataka; and other dignitaries were present. Silk farmers and weavers from the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu participated.

Addressing the event, Shri Giriraj Singh, stated that the Central Government is committed to the expansion of the country’s sericulture sector and the economic progress of silk farmers. The nation’s silk production, which stood at 26,000 metric tonnes in 2014, has increased to 42,000 metric tonnes today. A target has been set to scale this up to 60,000 metric tonnes by 2030-31, and a resolve has been made to elevate India to the No. 1 rank globally in silk production by 2028-29. In this direction, by enhancing the yield of mulberry leaves and increasing cocoon rearing cycles, there is an aspiration to raise the annual income of farmers to ₹10 lakh to ₹12 lakh, he said.

The Minister called for organizing ‘Best Silk Farmer’ award competitions at the district, state and national levels to cultivate a competitive spirit among sericulture farmers. Emphasizing that new innovations from scientists, hybrid varieties, and modern machinery must reach farmers directly, the Minister explained that demand for Indian silk is rising in the international market at a time when China’s production is declining. Strengthening the entire value chain from sericulture to reeling and weaving, taking the country’s textile market to 300 billion dollars and ensuring minimum economic security for weavers and the working class are the primary priorities of the Government, the Minister stated.

Sushri. Shobha Karandlaje, remarked that Karnataka occupies the leading position in the country’s total silk production and Government is giving special attention to infrastructure development and industrial growth to further strengthen this sector. Through the adoption of modern technologies and high-density production methods, importance is being given to producing silk of global export standards, which will enhance domestic production and significantly reduce reliance on imports. A large number of entrepreneurs are registering under the MSME framework and the Government is continuously implementing subsidy and quality improvement schemes to support them. The Minister stated that the prime objective of the Government is to provide suitable market access to local producers and generate new employment opportunities in the sericulture and textile industrial sectors.

Sushri. Padmini Singla, Joint Secretary (Silk), Ministry of Textiles, highlighting the strategic progress of the sericulture sector, said that an ambitious target has been set to produce 60,000 metric tonnes of silk in the country by 2030-31. To achieve this, high-yielding silkworm hybrids and machinery are being introduced, alongside integrating AI, GIS and Machine Learning technologies to inspect quality and enhance production capacity.

During the program, exchange of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) by the Silk Board with various organizations, distribution of appointment letters to 28 scientists, conferment of awards to outstanding employees and stakeholders and the release of various publications and periodicals of the Board also took place. (PIB)