Sericulture

Let’s begin with a basic definition, then slowly unravel it—like silk from a cocoon.

Sericulture is an Agro-based industry that involves the rearing of silkworms to produce silk.

Here, two words are key:

“Agro-based” means it is rooted in agriculture—because silkworms feed on the leaves of specific trees (like mulberry).
“Industry” because the end product—silk—is a commercial good, used in fashion, textiles, exports, and ceremonies.

Silkworms are raised on mulberry, oak, castor, and arjun leaves. After about a month, they spin cocoons. These cocoons are collected and boiled to soften the silk. The silk threads are then pulled out, twisted into yarn, and woven into fabric. This careful process turns small silkworms into shiny silk.

🧠 Imagine this: You are a rural farmer. You grow mulberry trees, and rear silkworms that eat those leaves. These worms spin cocoons. You extract silk from the cocoons, sell it to weavers, and earn a livelihood.
This is sericulture—a farm-to-fabric journey.

🌍 Production of Silk: Global and India

India is the second-largest silk producer in the world, after China and also the largest consumer of silk in the world.

Some Data: (Source)

Raw silk production grew from 31,906 MT (2017-18) to 38,913 MT (2023-24).
Mulberry plantation area increased from 223,926 ha (2017-18) to 263,352 ha (2023-24).
Exports of silk goods rose from ₹1,649.48 crores (2017-18) to ₹2,027.56 crores (2023-24).

Let me tell you, India is the only country that produces all five major types of silk. Let’s understand these five types.

🧬 Types of Silk in India

We can divide silk types broadly into:

Mulberry Silk – comes from silkworms that eat only mulberry leaves. It is soft, smooth, and shiny with a bright glow, making it perfect for luxury sarees and high-end fabrics. 92% of the country’s total raw silk production comes from mulberry.
Non-Mulberry Silks – (also known as Vanya silk) comes from wild silkworms that feed on leaves from trees like oak, castor and arjun. This silk has a natural, earthy feel with less shine but is strong, durable, and eco-friendly.

Let’s see them one by one:

Silk Type	Main States	Silkworm Species	Notes
🥇 Mulberry	Karnataka (80%), Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, J&K, WB	Bombyx mori	Most common; fine quality; depends on mulberry leaves.
🌳 Tasar (Tussar)	Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Bihar	Antheraea mylitta	Grows in forests; tribal involvement.
🍂 Oak Tasar	Hill areas (esp. in the Himalayas)	Antheraea proylei	Variant of Tasar; cooler regions.
🔸 Eri	Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland	Philosamia ricini	Peace silk—worms are not killed; ideal for ethical silk.
✨ Muga	Assam (Brahmaputra Valley)	Antheraea assamensis	Exclusive to India; known for natural golden color.

🧶 Cultural and Economic Significance

Silk is not just a cloth—it is woven into Indian culture, from wedding sarees to temple rituals.

India has been a part of the Silk Route historically.
Sericulture provides employment to over 9 million people, especially women, tribals, and small farmers.
It works well even in drylands, where normal farming is hard.

Imagine a tribal woman in Chhattisgarh raising silkworms in forest zones and selling cocoons to local cooperative societies—this is women-led economic empowerment in action.

⚠️ Challenges to Sericulture

Despite its potential, sericulture faces serious hurdles:

Outdated technology – Manual reeling, lack of cold storage, poor seed quality.
Shortage of skilled labor – Younger generation moving away from farming.
Competition from China – Post-WTO, India opened up markets; cheap Chinese silk floods Indian markets, hurting local producers.
Policy Misalignment – Since silk comes under the Textile Ministry, it misses out on agricultural subsidies. However, recent reforms are trying to change that.

✅ Why Revive Sericulture?

India has immense scope to revive and strengthen sericulture:

It revives rural economies, especially in tribal and forest areas.
Women can rear silkworms from home, promoting gender empowerment.
It preserves India’s heritage—like Banarasi, Kanchipuram, or Muga silks.

Sericulture is not just about silk; it is about sustainable livelihoods, cultural pride, and self-reliance.

🏛️ Recent Government Initiatives

Let’s look at what the government is doing to support this sector:

📌 Silk Samagra 2.0 (2021–2026)

Run by Central Silk Board.
Focus: Seed production, training, market access, reducing imports, boosting exports.

📌 Raw Material Supply Scheme (RMSS)(2021-26):

Formerly known as Yarn Supply Scheme (YSS), renamed RMSS.
Provides quality yarn and blends at subsidized rates to eligible handloom weavers.
Supplied 340 lakh kg of yarn in the financial year 2023-24.

📌 National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP)(2021-26)

Active from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
Supports weavers in the handloom sector, including silk fabric producers.
Promotes integrated handloom development through raw material support, design, technology upgrades, marketing, and exhibitions.
Helps build permanent infrastructure like Urban Haats and marketing complexes.
Benefits weavers in cooperatives and Self-Help Groups.

📌 Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector (SAMARTH):

Launched by the Ministry of Textiles; extended for FY 2024-25 & 2025-26.
Budget allocation: ₹495 crore to train 3 lakh individuals.
Focuses on entry-level training, upskilling, and reskilling in silk, apparel, handloom, handicraft, and jute sectors.

📌 GI Tags to Promote Local Silk Brands

Like branding Alphonso mangoes or Darjeeling tea—

Muga Silk – Assam
Banarasi Silk – UP
Kanchipuram Silk – Tamil Nadu
Paithani Silk – Maharashtra

GI tags protect regional identity and prevent imitation.

📌 Integration with Agriculture Schemes

Under RKVY (Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana), sericulture is now eligible for agri-subsidies.
This gives farmers access to funds, training, and tech.

📌 Forest Conservation Rules, 2022

Now allow non-mulberry silk rearing (like Tasar and Eri) in forest lands.
This gives a legal livelihood option to tribal and forest-dwelling communities.

🧵 Final Thoughts

“Sericulture is not just about producing silk—it is about producing dignity, livelihoods, and identity.”

It sits at the intersection of agriculture, industry, and tradition.
With the right support, it can be a pillar of rural India’s self-reliance.
For UPSC, understand it not just as a topic—but as a solution to multiple problems: employment, women’s empowerment, and rural development.