India's domestic silk growth powers upmarket apparel capacities

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India's domestic raw silk sector recorded a 2.22 per cent Y-o-Y volume growth to reach 42,033 tons for the FY25-26, underpinned by targeted improvements in agricultural yields and advanced spinning infrastructure. According to Central Silk Board data, high-quality bivoltine mulberry silk spearheaded this momentum with a notable 10.52 per cent jump to 11,229 tons, compensating for minor contraction across traditional Tussar and Eri wild silk varieties. Mulberry cultivation acreage similarly increased 3.07 per cent to 269,670 hectare, highlighting sustained farmer participation and structured institutional backing.

The substantial shift toward bivoltine production shows an upgrade for domestic fabric manufacturing and export readiness, directly reducing reliance on imported yarn, say experts. Apparel weavers and luxury silk processors face the ongoing challenge of balancing premium raw material acquisition costs against fluctuating global demand for finished garments. Nevertheless, the multi-year output increase of 24.47 per cent since FY20-21 presents lucrative commercial opportunities for mills scaling up value-added, high-thread-count silk collections for international fashion houses.