Assam’s famed Muga silk is rapidly attracting the customers in Japan. As Japanese designers are making more and more use of Muga silk in making kimonos and other traditional Japanese dresses, Japan is likely to become the largest market for the Muga silk yarn, according to S K Menon, CMD of the Silk Mark Organisation of India (SMOI). Mr. Menon said, “Muga has already marked its presence in the



S and many other European nations, the Middle-East and South Africa, and now it is gaining incredible success in Japan too.” Muga, which got Geographical Indication (GI) registration in 2007, exclusively belongs to Assam and is greatly in demand in foreign markets as these countries are unable to produce quality Muga silk, Mr. Menon added. He acknowledged Eri silk as another fine fibre that has a potential to earn recognition in global market if it is properly promoted. He said, “Eri has good future prospects, particularly because this silk has yet not been marketed outside India. However, now the Eri producers are reaping good profits.” The SMOI CMD stressed on the need to prepare better designed Eri dresses, as presently most of the designs limit themselves to ‘chadars’ and jackets. Further, while pinpointing that there is huge market for silk within India itself, he stated that due to infrastructural problems, the domestic production fails to meet the country’s overall demand. In fact, India is the largest consumer of silk in the world, as silk is an integral requirement for every occasion. Mr. Menon called attention to the fact that India faces a shortage of 10,000 tons of silk per annum. This is in spite of Assam contributing around 90 percent of the country’s overall silk production and India being the second biggest producer of silk, globally. As a result, India ends up spending its expensive foreign exchange to import silk, mainly from China. Every year, the country imports more than 8,000 tons of silk from China, while it domestically produces around 22,000 tons of silk, Mr. Menon said. Alongside China, India even imports raw silk from other




s overall silk production and India being the second biggest producer of silk, globally. As a result, India ends up spending its expensive foreign exchange to import silk, mainly from China. Every year, the country imports more than 8,000 tons of silk from China, while it domestically produces around 22,000 tons of silk, Mr. Menon said. Alongside China, India even imports raw silk from other countries like Brazil, Hong Kong, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, in small quantities.