How tech is transforming India’s silk industry

Six years ago Dr Jolapuram Umamaheswari walked away from her career as a scientist in Singapore.
“When I came back to India, I was jobless but I wanted to be my own boss,” she says.
After some research she hit on silk farming, or sericulture. It involves feeding mulberry leaves to silkworms, harvesting their cocoons and extracting the silk fibres.
“Silk farming sits at a rare intersection of biology, precision, and business. It didn’t feel like I was leaving science, it felt like I was applying it differently,” she says.
However, raising silkworms on her farm in the eastern state of Andhra Pradesh proved to be a challenge.
“The early days were not easy. There were disease outbreaks, inconsistent yields, and the steep learning curve that comes with managing living systems,” she remembers.
Her scientific background helped to keep her going.
“Over time, small improvements in hygiene, feeding practices, and environmental control began to compound into better survival rates and higher-quality cocoons.”
The work paid off, today Umamaheswari produces 10 crops of raw silk a year, with the growth cycle of each batch of silkworms taking 25 to 30 days.
She makes around $1,000 (£760) a month.
“The result is like a steady, almost salary-like income. That’s what makes sericulture unique, If managed well, it gives you regular returns, not just seasonal income,” Umamaheswari says.
“Modern sericulture is currently undergoing a massive digital and biotechnological shift,” says Krishna Tomala, the founder of Asho Farms.
From producing silkworm eggs to supplying larvae and rearing cocoons, Asho Farms has integrated the latest technology.
“A silkworm grows nearly a thousand times in just 25 days. But its success depends completely on temperature, humidity and good-quality leaves,” Tomala says.
Silkworms are “extremely sensitive” to changes in their environment, he points out. Temperature and humidity used to be monitored manually, but today sensors and automated systems automatically adjust an array of fans, heaters, and humidifiers.
At Asho, AI is used to identify any problems with the crops.
“I use computer vision and machine learning. Cameras can detect early signs of diseases in silkworm larvae with over 99% accuracy, which helps remove the infected worm immediately before the entire lot is infected,” Tomala says.
India is the world’s second-biggest silk producer, behind China which dominates the market.
But India can boast an unrivalled range of products, as well as some unique silk. “India is the only country in the world where all four commercial varieties of silk – Mulberry, Tasar, Eri, and Muga – are available.
“Muga silk, in particular, is unique to India, primarily found in Assam and Meghalaya,” says Manthira Moorthy, a director at the government’s Central Silk Board. (BBC)