Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
China produces over 70% of the world's silk
India is the second-largest producer of silk in the world, accounting for around 18% of global production
Mulberry silk contributes nearly 74% of the total raw silk production in India
The global silk market size was valued at USD 16.94 billion in 2020
The global silk market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.8% from 2021 to 2028
India has over 7.9 lakh sericulture farmers
Karnataka contributes nearly 33% of India’s total silk production
Assam accounts for 99% of India's muga silk production
India is the only country in the world that produces all five known commercial varieties of silk
India exported silk worth USD 239.54 million in 2020–21
The employment generated from India’s silk industry is over 8.7 million people
China's silk exports were valued at around USD 1.4 billion in 2019
Japan was once the world’s largest silk producer but now imports most of its silk
Labor and Workforce
- India has over 7.9 lakh sericulture farmers
- The employment generated from India’s silk industry is over 8.7 million people
- Over 150,000 farmers are engaged in silk production in Thailand
- The Thai government promotes sericulture to improve rural incomes
- Sericulture contributes to sustainable rural employment and ecological farming
- Japan’s silk reelers have decreased from over 7,000 in 1970 to fewer than 50 today
- More than 60% of silk weavers in India work in the unorganized sector
- Uzbek silk production involves over 30,000 rural families
- In India, women form over 60% of the sericulture workforce
Interpretation
While Japan's silk threads are unraveling, countries like India and Thailand are weaving sericulture into the fabric of rural employment, sustainability, and women's empowerment—though much of it remains spun in the shadows of the unorganized sector.
Market Size and Growth
- The global silk market size was valued at USD 16.94 billion in 2020
- The global silk market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.8% from 2021 to 2028
- The global demand for organic silk is increasing due to environmental concerns
Interpretation
As the silk industry spins a $16.94 billion web with a sleek 7.8% growth rate through 2028, rising demand for eco-friendly threads proves that even luxury is going green.
Production and Geography
- China produces over 70% of the world's silk
- India is the second-largest producer of silk in the world, accounting for around 18% of global production
- Karnataka contributes nearly 33% of India’s total silk production
- Assam accounts for 99% of India's muga silk production
- India is the only country in the world that produces all five known commercial varieties of silk
- Europe's leading silk producer is Italy, mainly centered in Como
- Uzbekistan is the third-largest silk producer globally
- About 25,000 tons of raw silk are produced globally each year
- Silk production starts with sericulture, which includes cultivating mulberry plants and rearing silkworms
- Silk was first developed in ancient China around 2700 BCE
- About 6,600 silkworms are needed to produce 1 kilogram of silk
- One cocoon yields about 1,000 yards of silk filament
- Japan’s domestic silk production had declined by nearly 99% since 1975
- An average silkworm cocoon takes about 3–4 days to complete spinning
- Vietnam produced 984 tons of silk in 2019
- China cultivates over 987,000 hectares for mulberry planting
- Brazil is South America’s leading silk producer, particularly in Paraná state
- The life cycle of a silkworm is about 6–8 weeks
- India’s tussar silk is mainly produced in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha
- Eri silk, known as Ahimsa silk, is predominantly produced in Assam and Meghalaya
- Sericulture in India is practiced in over 52,000 villages
- In India, over 37,000 hectares are under mulberry cultivation
- India promoted 27 silk clusters under the Silk Samagra scheme
- India’s Central Silk Board has 15 research and training institutions
- Udaipur in Rajasthan has emerged as a new silk base
- Silk production requires more than 2,000 gallons of water per pound produced
- Turkey’s silk industry is concentrated in Bursa, a historical silk trade center
- Thailand has over 18 silk research and development centers
- India targets to increase silk production to 38,500 MT by 2025
- It takes around 3000 cocoons to make a single yard of silk fabric
- Over 112 million kg of mulberry leaves are used every year in Indian sericulture
Interpretation
From ancient Chinese roots to Indian innovation and European elegance, the global silk industry remains a shimmering testament to the tireless labor of millions of silkworms—and thousands of farmers—spinning economic livelihood and tradition into every lustrous thread.
Silk Types and Composition
- Mulberry silk contributes nearly 74% of the total raw silk production in India
- Silk is composed of fibroin and is known for its tensile strength
- Bombyx mori is the primary silkworm used in the global silk industry
- Artificial silk or rayon was developed in the late 19th century
- The Silk Mark is a government initiative in India to authenticate pure silk
- Muga silk is golden-yellow in color and exclusive to India
- Artificial silk comprises over 90% of “silk” labeled garments in the market
- The most expensive silk fabric is made from the golden silk of the golden orb-weaver spider
- Non-mulberry silk accounts for 26% of India’s silk production
- Silk naturally regulates body temperature due to its insulating properties
- Modern biotech firms are developing lab-grown spider silk
- Silk is biodegradable and compostable under suitable conditions
- Artificial silk like viscose causes more environmental pollution than natural silk
Interpretation
In a world where over 90% of "silk" garments are imposters spun from pollutants, India’s golden threads of mulberry and muga stand resilient—eco-friendly, luxurious, and biologically brilliant—while biotech dreams of spiders hint at silk’s high-tech future.
Trade and Consumption
- India exported silk worth USD 239.54 million in 2020–21
- China's silk exports were valued at around USD 1.4 billion in 2019
- Japan was once the world’s largest silk producer but now imports most of its silk
- The Silk Road was named for the Chinese silk trade
- Raw silk export from India reached 1,817 metric tons in FY21
- China domestically consumes more than 50% of the silk it produces
- India imports almost 1,200 metric tons of raw silk primarily from China annually
- The textile industry consumes about 10 to 15% of India's raw silk
- Over 20% of silk fabrics manufactured in India are exported
- China’s silk exports account for more than 40% of the global silk trade
- Approximately 80 countries are involved in silk production or trade
- India consumes most of the silk it produces and imports to meet additional demand
- India’s silk industry generated Rs. 9,167 crore in exports (2021–22)
- Indian silk import duty was increased to 20% in 2020 to protect local industry
- China first began exporting raw silk along the Silk Road during the Han dynasty
- India’s silk exports have declined slightly post-COVID-19
- Silk imports from China form about 80% of India's total silk imports
- Brazil exports raw silk primarily to Japan
- Annual global consumption of raw silk is approximately 28,000 metric tons
Interpretation
Despite weaving a rich legacy and ranking second in global silk production, India’s silk story remains one where it spins gold but still imports threads—most from China—to stitch together a globally competitive presence.