Central Silk Board (CSB), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, organizes the Directors’ Conference of Sericulture Practicing States/UTs on January 3 and 4, 2026 at Hotel Radisson Blu, Bengaluru, under the theme “Strengthening the Silk Value Chain for Inclusive Growth.” The conference brought together senior officials from the Ministry of Textiles, State Governments, Central Silk Board institutes, and other key stakeholders to deliberate on emerging challenges, innovations and the future roadmap for India’s silk sector. P. Sivakumar, IFS, Member Secretary, Central Silk Board, set the context of the Directors’ Conference and presented an overview of the Indian silk industry, highlighting the integrated focus from seed to end product and initiatives under Silk Samagra-2.
Addressing the gathering, Ms. Padmini Singla, IAS, Joint Secretary (Silk), Ministry of Textiles, highlighted the importance of such conferences in facilitating inter-state knowledge sharing and experience exchange. She emphasized the need for improved monitoring systems, enhanced skilling initiatives and adoption of best practices to strengthen sericulture. She further noted that structural gaps in the sector must be addressed through appropriate manpower deployment and institutional strengthening. Shri Girish R., IAS, Secretary, Department of Horticulture & Sericulture, Government of Karnataka, underlined that sericulture has long been an integral part of Karnataka’s rural economy. He stated that the sector has significantly empowered rural communities and noted Karnataka’s leadership in bivoltine silk production, producing high-quality cocoons. He pointed out that many sericulturists are earning substantial annual incomes, demonstrating the economic viability and potential of sericulture as a livelihood option.
Smt. Neelam Shami Rao, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, stressed that greater attention must now be given to the post-cocoon sector, particularly silk marketing, positioning and branding. She highlighted the importance of matching demand and supply, maintaining consistent quality standards, and strengthening testing mechanisms to build consumer trust. Emphasizing the value of Silk Mark authentication, she noted its role in enhancing the credibility and value of Indian silk in domestic and global markets. She also referred to recent initiatives such as the launch of Seri Tourism at Manasbal in Jammu & Kashmir and the national textile event Bharat Tex 2025. She observed that heat-mapping of sericulture clusters and districts reflects the wide geographical spread of sericulture across the country, surpassing several other natural fibre sectors. During the technical sessions, extensive presentations were made on silkworm seed production, pre-cocoon technologies, post-cocoon innovations, marketing and brand promotion, entrepreneurship and start-ups, and the achievements and impact of Silk Samagra-2. State Sericulture Directors shared state-specific initiatives and experiences, while Directors of CSB research and extension institutes presented advancements in pre- and post-cocoon technologies, scalable models and research achievements.
Several knowledge resources were released during the conference, including Performance Profile of Seri States, the Bodoland Sericulture coffee table book, Silk Paradise magazine from Jammu & Kashmir, and other publications, reflecting the diversity and progress of sericulture across regions. An interactive session with panel discussions enabled participants to deliberate on key issues, challenges and opportunities, culminating in actionable recommendations for strengthening the silk sector. The conference concluded with a consensus on adopting an integrated, technology-driven and market-oriented approach to reinforce the silk value chain, enhance farmer incomes and ensure sustainable and inclusive growth of India’s silk industry.
Dr. Naresh Babu N., IFS – Joint Secretary (Tech), Central Silk Board, In addition, senior officers, Directors of Sericulture from States/UTs, scientists, and key stakeholders of the silk sector participated in the conference.
