Karnataka inaugurates state-of-the art cocoon market in Kalaburagi

The inauguration of a state-of-the-art cocoon market in Kalaburagi, Karnataka, marks a strategic expansion of India’s silk value chain, targeting a valuation of Rs 1.1 lakh crore by 2030.  Finalized on January 27, 2026, this decentralized infrastructure move aims to insulate farmers from the logistics bottlenecks of Ramanagara, Asia’s largest cocoon hub while ensuring price transparency through digital auctioning. To complement this, the Central Silk Board has deployed high-grade automatic reeling machines (ARMs) across the northern Karnataka belt, a technical intervention designed to reduce labor intensity by 60 per cent and achieve a yarn evenness coefficient of under 3 per cent.

The industry is currently going through a high-value shift, with raw silk production targets set at 14,150 tons for the current fiscal year. However, challenges persist; rising input costs and climate-induced yield fluctuations have kept cocoon prices volatile, often averaging between Rs 650 and Rs 750 per kg. By modernizing the post-cocoon segment in non-traditional belts, we are building a more resilient, audit-ready supply chain that meets the stringent traceability requirements of European luxury houses, noted a senior Ministry of Textiles official at the Resham Mela. This focus on ‘Quality Cocoon to Quality Silk’ positions India to potentially triple its silk exports, which are projected to exceed Rs 2,500 crore by the end of FY26.

The Central Silk Board (CSB) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Textiles responsible for the integrated development of India’s sericulture sector. Headquartered in Bengaluru, the CSB focuses on mulberry and Vanya silk research, aiming to double the industry's value chain by 2030 through aggressive mechanization and farmer-centric seed technology.