Weaving success stories on NE looms

The traditional looms of communities in the north-eastern region and their weaving skills are key identity markers for the indigenous population in the region. Efforts to tap this potential into commercial success stories have held out the promise of turning the region into a hub of Indian silk exports. Projects under the North Eastern Textile Promotion Scheme (NERTPS) contributing to the additional annual production of over 1500 MT of raw silk have triggered new hopes. This additional volume compares well with the country’s annual import volume of 3000 MT of raw silk, mainly from China, with Vietnam coming up recently as another major import origin. A little extra effort can lead to the raw silk production in the north-eastern region substituting for this import requirement and generating huge livelihoods in the silk sector in the region in the process. Official data shows that around 38,000 acres of plantations under mulberry, eri, muga, and oak tasar have been developed in the region under the NERTPS. Altogether 38 sericulture projects have been implemented under the NERTPS under four broad categories: integrated sericulture development projects, intensive bivoltine sericulture development projects, eri spun silk mills, and development of sericulture in aspirational districts. The total project cost is Rs 1,108 crore, of which the Central Government share is Rs 956 crore, out of which Rs 845 crore was released to the states. The government estimates that the production target of 8304 MT of silk for 2022–23 would be achieved, which has boosted its confidence to set the production target of 8502 MT silk for the region in the 2023–24 Financial Year. The achievement of additional annual production of 1500 MT has led to the generation of additional employment for 3.15 lakh persons from around 63,000 beneficiary families under the NERTPS projects. Assets under these projects have been created at the individual beneficiary level and at the common facility level, such as the construction of rearing houses, seed grainage, reeling infrastructure, mounting halls, and plantations. This has shaped a new perception about the potential of the silk sector to provide gainful employment in the region, where youth have been perpetually suffering from a lack of employment opportunities. Addressing the impact of climate change and the issues of indiscriminate use of pesticides in tea and other cultivation near raw silk production clusters will be crucial to maintaining the growth momentum. Adequate funding for research and development activities can support the scientific community in expediting their research work and evolving innovative responses to such challenges. Empirical knowledge of indigenous communities in mitigating adverse impacts of climate extremes and organic farming practices can be useful in such scientific research and response. Market linkage for silk producers is another area that needs focused attention to boost production and help beneficiaries of sericulture projects stay engaged in raw and finished silk production. The NERTPS has been subsumed under the overarching Silk Samagra-2 scheme, and the release of Rs 45 crore and Rs 30 crore in the pipeline towards the continuation of the projects will ensure that there is no shortfall in funds required by targeted beneficiaries under the NERTPS scheme, which has been discontinued. Product design and diversification are two key areas in which the region has lagged behind and has been posing hurdles for the finished products of the majority silk producers in the region in tapping the market potential, both domestically and on the export market. This hard reality cannot be ignored, even though individual success stories of exporting diversified silk products with new designs to cater to market demands in several countries and to other states in India are galore. India’s dependence on the import of raw silk despite being the second largest silk producer in the world speaks volumes about the potential for the region to tap the market demand of the domestic silk industry. Special attention on the promotion of entrepreneurs in the silk sector through skill development and exposure visits to successful silk export clusters can infuse the initiatives for silk production in the Northeast with fresh and dynamic ideas. This will ensure that the achievement under NERTPS or the Samagra Silk Project is not stagnated by a mere increase in the production of raw silk by beneficiary families. The connectivity push in the region and also India’s transborder connectivity projects through the northeast with friendly neighbouring countries in the neighbourhood for promoting trade and commerce under the Act East Policy and Neighbourhood First Policy have created new potential for market expansion for silk products from traditional looms in the region. An increase in production of raw silk within the region has increased its commercial viability through a reduction of dependence on raw silk imports and supplies from other states. States in the region playing a proactive role in the implementation of the Samagra Silk-2 as well as focusing on their own projects and schemes aimed at boosting raw silk production and supporting silk weavers will be critical to sustaining the new growth story. Northeast weavers have started weaving new success stories on their looms.