Bodoland’s silk revolution: Sericulture Mission weaves jobs, identity, and global recognition

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaSeptember 8, 2025

At dawn in Kokrajhar, 42-year-old Priyanka Basumatary steps into her backyard to feed the silkworms resting on castor leaves. By mid-morning, she will be at her loom, weaving the soft eri yarn into shawls. For her and thousands of women like her across the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), silk is not just tradition—it is income, dignity and a way forward.

That sense of purpose has found new strength in the Bodoland Sericulture Mission, a programme launched by the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) in partnership with the Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles, NEHHDC, World Bank-funded APART and others. Together, they are helping families like Priyanka’s turn a cultural craft into a sustainable livelihood.

Over 41,000 acres of land in BTR are now covered by silkworm food plantations, which sustain more than 44,000 families in 1,658 villages. Sericulture is practised in over half of BTR’s villages, and production has doubled in the past decade. In 2024–25 alone, raw silk output touched 1,510 metric tons, with eri silk contributing an overwhelming 97 per cent. Last year, Bodo eri silk was awarded the coveted Geographical Indication (GI) tag, giving it a distinct identity on the global stage.

Behind these numbers are individual stories of change. In Udalguri, 27-year-old weaver Monorama Narzary says the training and loom she received through the mission helped her shift from weaving for local fairs to supplying yarn for larger markets. “Earlier, we depended on middlemen and got little for our hard work. Now, with the new mills, we feel secure that our cocoons and yarn have a buyer,” she said.

The two new eri silk mills, one at Baksa and another at Kokrajhar, have been game-changers. The Baksa unit, inaugurated in January, produces 461 kilograms of yarn daily and employs 375 people directly, while supporting nearly 50,000 households. The Kokrajhar mill, opened in August, is expected to produce 37 metric tons annually and back over 15,000 households. Beyond jobs, the mills stabilise prices for rearers and reduce the long journeys families once made to sell cocoons outside the region.

Eri silk, also called “peace silk” for its non-violent rearing process, fits easily into rural households, especially women-led ones. District data shows more than 43,000 families across Kokrajhar, Udalguri, Baksa, Chirang and Tamulpur are engaged in sericulture. For many, it blends naturally with farm work while giving them their own steady income.

Officials acknowledge the mission is still a work in progress. Priorities now include steady cocoon procurement at fair prices, working capital for women’s producer groups, and stronger linkages between village clusters, mills and national buyers. But the early signs are encouraging. “It’s not just about silk,” said a senior BTC sericulture officer. “It’s about women finding independence, about young people staying in villages with meaningful work, and about Bodoland having a product the world now recognises.”

If the momentum holds, Bodoland’s silk mission could move thousands of tribal households from subsistence to stability, while keeping alive a heritage that is now making its mark far beyond Assam’s borders.