Key Highlights
- Union Minister Pabitra Margherita formally opened SILKTECH 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
- Top textile bureaucrats, including IAS officer Neelam Shami Rao and Joint Secretaries Prajakta L. Verma and Ajay Gupta, attended.
- The minister underscored the uniqueness of Muga and Eri silks and urged zero‑waste approaches across the silk value chain.
- Six Memoranda of Understanding were signed among CSB research institutes, external laboratories and NGOs to accelerate innovation.
- Two flagship publications – a souvenir of abstracts and the “Pradyogiki Vivranak” – were launched to disseminate emerging silk technologies.
Detailed Insights
The international conference, convened by the Central Silk Board’s research arms in Ranchi and CSTRI, positioned silk at the crossroads of sustainability and high‑value applications. Participants examined how next‑generation processing can convert silk waste into cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and other non‑textile products, thereby expanding market reach. Emphasis was placed on aligning India’s silk output with global quality benchmarks, supporting the Prime Minister’s target of tripling textile production and exports through collaborative research. The event also highlighted the role of the Silk Samagra initiative in modernising sericulture and promoting the commercial use of silk by‑products.
Key Concepts
- Zero‑Waste Silk Technology: Methods that recover fibroin, sericin and other by‑products from silk processing to eliminate landfill loss.
- Muga & Eri Silks: Indigenous silk varieties from the Northeastern states, prized for natural golden hue and durability.
- Silk Samagra: A government‑driven framework aimed at integrating advanced biotechnology and digital tools into traditional sericulture.