Explained: Culture, craft and commerce of Indian silk industry

Hyderabad: Silk features prominently in India’s textile history, art and tradition. Silk sarees like Kanchipuram, Tanchoi and Banarasi have a rich history and heritage.

India is the second-largest producer and consumer of silk globally. China is the largest silk-producing country in the world. India’s raw silk production, areas under mulberry plantations and silk goods exports have grown exponentially in the last few years.

The bonds between India and silk

Silk is a thread that weaves and joins together India’s history, tradition and art. From the rich Kanchipuram sarees to the earthy beauty of Bhagalpur Tussar, every silk saree tells a story. They are made from pure mulberry silk, woven with care and skill by artisans. This craft has been passed down from generation to generation for centuries.

History of silk

The earliest sample of a woven silk fabric is from 3630 BC in China. The knowledge of silk production reached beyond Chinese borders, with the Japanese, Koreans and later Indians gaining knowledge of silk fabric production. However, silk production reigned supreme ampng the Chinese for 3,000 years.

Starting in the 2nd century BC, the Chinese established a commercial network exporting silk to the West. Silk was even used by the Persians.

How Parsi traders brought Tanchoi silk to India from China

Parsi traders in India brought Chinese hand-embroidered silk saris called ‘Garas’ during their trade with China over the last few centuries.

They also introduced the buttery soft, super luxurious Tanchoi silk in India.

Tanchoi is produced using Chinese weaving techniques and Indian artistry. The technique, which creates intricate, self-designed patterns, is believed to have originated in China and was brought to India in the 19th century by three brothers from Surat in Gujarat, who were sent there to learn the craft.

These brothers, commissioned by a Parsi merchant, adopted the name ‘Tanchoi’ from their Chinese teacher, Chhoi, and the term ‘Tan’, which translates to ‘three’ in Gujarati, symbolising the three brothers. The silk was then introduced to India by Parsi traders, particularly those from Surat.

The magic of Silk Route

The Silk Route, originating from China, enabled merchants to carry silk from China to Europe, especially for European royalty and wealthy buyers. The Silk Road extended approximately 6,437 kilometres across some of the world’s most formidable landscapes, including deserts and rugged mountains.

The process of creating silk from silkworms

Sericulture is the process of farming silkworms to make silk. Silkworms are raised on mulberry, oak, castor and arjun tree leaves. After four weeks, 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.

Economic role of silk in developing India

India is the second largest producer of silk and the largest consumer of silk in the world. In India, mulberry silk is produced mainly in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir, while the non-mulberry silks are produced in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and North-Eastern States.

Mulberry silk

Mulberry silk is produced using silkworms that only eat mulberry leaves. It is soft, smooth and shiny with a bright glow, making it perfect for luxurious sarees and high-end fabrics. As much as 92 per cent of the country’s total raw silk production comes from mulberry.

Non-mulberry silk, 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.

Silk generates employment and foreign exchange

Silk is a high-value but low-volume product accounting for only 0.2 per cent of the world’s total textile production. Silk production is regarded as an important tool for economic development. The developing countries rely on it for employment generation, especially in the rural sector and also as a means to earn foreign exchange.

India’s silk market overview

Silk waste consists of leftover or imperfect silk from the production process, such as broken fibres or pieces of cocoons. While it’s regarded as waste, it can be used to create lower-quality products like silk yarn or fabric, or even recycled into new silk items.

Government schemes in silk development

Government schemes play a crucial role in the growth of the silk industry in India. These initiatives provide financial support and resources for various activities related to sericulture.

- The Silk Samagra Scheme: This is a prominent initiative by the government to improve the sericulture industry across India. Its objective is to scale up production by improving the quality and productivity, and to empower downtrodden and poor families through various activities of sericulture in the country.

Silk Samagra-2 is an extension of this effort with a budget of Rs. 4,679.85 crore for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26. These interventions help improve the entire silk production process, from raising silkworms to producing quality silk fabrics. So far, Rs 1,075.58 crore has been provided in central assistance, benefiting over 78,000 people.

Financial support has been given to Andhra Pradesh (Rs 72.50 crore) and Telangana (Rs 40.66 crore) for the last three years to help with Silk Samagra-2 components.

In addition to Silk Samagra-2, there are other schemes that support the silk and handloom sector.

- Raw Material Supply Scheme (RMSS): This scheme makes available quality yarn and its blends to the eligible handloom weavers at subsidised rates. As many as 340 lakh kilograms of yarn have been supplied during the financial year 2023-2024 under the scheme.

- National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP): This program aims to support weavers in the handloom sector, including silk fabric producers. The scheme takes a need-based approach to foster the integrated development of handlooms and improve the welfare of handloom weavers. It provides support for raw materials, design, technology upgrades, and marketing through exhibitions. Additionally, it helps create permanent infrastructure like Urban Haats and marketing complexes, benefiting weavers both within cooperatives and in Self-Help Groups.

- Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector: Launched by the Ministry of Textiles, it is a demand-driven and placement-oriented program with a budget of Rs 495 crores to train three lakh people. The scheme focuses on entry-level training, as well as upskilling and reskilling in apparel and garmenting, handloom, handicraft, silk and jute.

These schemes have helped improve the quantity and quality of raw silk produced, contributing to the growth of the silk industry in India. India’s silk industry has grown well with help from schemes like Silk Samagra and Silk Samagra-2. These have supported farmers, weavers and rural families. With more focus on training, new ideas, and better markets, India can become a global leader in silk. This will also help keep our silk traditions alive.