New Delhi, April 14
India’s raw silk production has experienced steady growth, rising from 31,906 metric tonnes (MT) in 2017-18 to 38,913 MT in 2023-24, as exports figures also jumped significantly in the period.
This growth is supported by the expansion of mulberry plantations from 223,926 hectare in 2017-18 to 263,352 hectare in 2023-24, which boosted mulberry silk production from 22,066 MT in 2017-18 to 29,892 MT in 2023-24, according to latest government data.
Total raw silk production increased from 31,906 MT in 2017-18 to 38,913 MT in 2023-24. Exports of silk and silk goods rose from Rs 1,649.48 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 2,027.56 crore in 2023-24.
As per Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCIS) reports, the country exported 3348 MT of silk waste in 2023-24.
Meanwhile, raw silk production is estimated at 34,042 metric tonnes in the April-January period of 2024-25, which is a close to 10,000 tonnes increase over the corresponding figure of 24,299 metric tonnes in the same period of 2014-15.
India is the second largest producer of silk and also the largest consumer of silk in the world. In India, mulberry silk is produced mainly in the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir and West Bengal, while the non-mulberry silks are produced in Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Orissa and north-eastern states.