Aizawl: Mizoram Governor Vijay Kumar Singh has called for a strategic overhaul of the state’s sericulture sector, describing it as an untapped economic powerhouse capable of transforming the state into India’s “silk capital,” Lok Bhavan sources said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the grand fashion show titled “Tlangro: The Mizoram Silk Runway” on Tuesday evening in Aizawl, the Governor underscored that Mizoram possesses the unique natural advantage of producing all four major silk varieties: mulberry, eri, muga, and oak tasar, the sources said.
The event, jointly organised by the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, the Mizoram Sericulture Department, and the National Handloom Development Corporation (NHDC), aimed to showcase Mizoram’s rich silk heritage while celebrating the artistry, craftsmanship, and immense untapped potential of the state’s silk industry.
Singh noted that Mizoram’s temperate climate provides an ideal environment for silkworm rearing.
With growing global demand for eco-friendly and sustainable textiles, Mizoram’s natural fibre, particularly eri silk, holds high potential to capture significant international markets, he said.
“Sericulture can become a powerful pathway for economic empowerment, cultural preservation, and sustainable development,” Singh said.
He also stressed the need for strong collaboration among farmers, government agencies, researchers, and local communities to transform the sector into a genuine engine of growth for the state.
The Governor outlined several key measures required to advance sericulture, including adopting modern rearing technology, ensuring quality inputs, strengthening research and development, expanding awareness and training programmes, encouraging youth participation, improving infrastructure and market linkages, and ensuring effective government support and policy implementation for local farmers.
Singh expressed confidence that Mizoram could take a leading role in the expansion of muga silk, the rare golden-hued variety native to the region.
He suggested strategies such as increasing host plant cultivation, developing a distinct regional brand identity for Mizoram’s muga silk to distinguish it in the global market, and enhancing skill development in rearing techniques.
To bridge the gap between rural production and high-end retail, Singh suggested integrating the silk industry with tourism and e-commerce platforms.
He called for a “genuine engine of growth” fuelled by robust collaboration among farmers, researchers, industries, fashion designers, and government agencies.