Why in the news
A new Atmanirbhar North East project was started to take Assam’s Muga silk from farm to global luxury markets, covering the whole value chain.
Key facts
- Launch date: 2 June 2026, by Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia and the Assam Chief Minister.
- Lead ministry: MDoNER, in convergence with the Ministry of Textiles; implementing State: Assam.
- Type: cluster-based, value-chain-focused textile initiative.
- Targets mentioned: about 5,000 hectares of Som and Soalu host plants regenerated; five modern reeling units and a Muga Spun Mill.
- Institutions: 30 Farmer Producer Organisations and over 1,180 Farmer Interest Groups; around 80 per cent of traded Muga to be GI-authenticated; exports above 2,000 kg by 2028.
About Muga silk
| Feature | Detail |
|---|
| Region | Assam only, unique worldwide |
| Colour | Natural golden tint that brightens with age |
| GI tag | Since 2007 |
| Host trees | Som (Persea bombycina) and Soalu (Litsea polyantha) |
| Silkworm | Antheraea assamensis |
| Rearer-weaver income | About ₹18,000-21,000 a year |
Other Indian silks
| Silk | Region | Nature |
|---|
| Eri / Endi | Assam, Meghalaya, Bihar, parts of the North East | Wild, non-violent silk |
| Tasar | Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh | Wild silk |
| Mulberry | Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, J&K | Cultivated; largest share |
Goals and significance
- Lift annual incomes of rearers and weavers.
- Capture full premium value from farm gate to export markets.
- Position Muga as a traceable, GI-tagged, high-end product.
- Luxury demand in Japan, the EU and the Middle East; GI authentication and traceability guard against imitations.
- FPOs and Farmer Interest Groups give collective bargaining power; silk tourism adds jobs.
Exam angle
- Anchor ministry: MDoNER; partner: Ministry of Textiles.
- Muga is a wild, non-mulberry silk with a GI tag from 2007.
- Host plants: Som and Soalu.
- GI law mentioned: Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999; registry at Chennai.