Assam: Field study on commercial potential of Muga industry conducted in Lakhimpur district

LAKHIMPUR: A business expert of a Japanese company visited Dhakuakhana subdivision of Lakhimpur district, ‘the capital of Muga silk’, on Tuesday in order to conduct a field study upon the commercial potential of the Muga industry of Assam and how it can be expanded to international level. She is Shigeko Inaba, the Business Networking Expert of Project on Sustainable Global Business Breakthrough Ecosystem (SGBBE) under Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Confederation of Indian Industry who arrived in Dhakuakhana led by Chandrakanta Das, Assistant Manager of NEDFi Guwahati. During her visit to Dhakuakhana, along with one more associate, Shigeko Inaba inspected the ‘Muga Somanis’ (Muga silk worm rearing fields) and collected various information on the subject by interacting with the Muga farmers.

In this connection, she talked with Sunil Deuri, Project Officer of Muga Seed Development Project of Dhakuakhana and Muga researcher Jitul Saikia. While visiting the Muga Somanis in the project premises, she was impressed on watching the skills of rearing and growing the silk worms. She also visited Machkhowa of Dhemaji district and interacted with the members of ‘Saneki’ a producers’ company on Muga silk.

In addition, the business expert visited the Bantow village under the Dhakuakhana subdivision to witness the traditional skills of making Muga yarns and weaving of the Muga silk clothes. She also visited several other places discussed the problems, potential and commercial importance of Muga silk with Muga farmers.

While talking to this correspondent, NEDFi Assistant Manager Chandra Kanta Das said, “The Government of Assam and the Department of Handloom and Textile, through NEDFi, have already chalked out a plan to expand the market of Muga silk to international level. As part of such Initiatives, the Business Networking Expert of the Project on Sustainable Global Business Breakthrough Ecosystem (SGBBE) has conducted a field study on the Muga industry of Assam. If everything goes well, the Muga yarn, clothes and cocoon will manage to gain importance in the international market.”

It should be noted here that the first Joint Coordinating Committee for the effective implementation of the technical cooperation of the Project of Sustainable Global Business Breakthrough Ecosystem (SGBBE) was held on September 21, 2023. Reports said that the meeting saw participation from representatives of the Government of India, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) India, Embassy of Japan as well as from industries - Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and academia such as IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur and IIM Calcutta to enable an inclusive and productive discussion. The participants shared the next steps for the upcoming months and required inputs for expected achievements; development of capacity of Indian counterparts for implementing collaborative programmes, creation of multiple sub-programs relate to business matching, startup support as well as Industry 4.0, and achievements of tangible results in investment promotion and startup development through the project. A technical cooperation project, the SGBBE aims expansion of the collaboration in terms of business opportunities in industries and academia between India and Japan with establishing the system of the institutional business cooperation and gaining capability of sustainable management independently.

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