The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), in collaboration with the Government of Assam, has launched Mission Senehjori – Assam Muga Silk USP, a comprehensive cluster-based initiative aimed at transforming Assam’s distinctive Muga silk sector into a globally competitive luxury textile ecosystem.
The mission was launched by Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia alongside the Chief Minister of Assam. It seeks to strengthen the entire Muga silk value chain through coordinated efforts involving the Government of Assam, the Central Silk Board, the Ministry of Textiles and other central ministries and organisations.
The initiative will focus on every stage of the value chain, from host plant cultivation and silkworm seed production to reeling, weaving, branding, export promotion, digital traceability and tourism development.
The programme adopts a cluster-based development model covering major Muga silk-producing districts, including Jorhat, Sivasagar, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Majuli and Sualkuchi. Planned interventions include strengthening host plant ecology, establishing modern reeling infrastructure, promoting Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), setting up Common Facility Centres (CFCs), enforcing GI authentication and expanding international market access under the unified “Senehjori” brand.
Scindia stated that Mission Senehjori had been conceived as a collaborative initiative involving multiple central ministries, the Assam government, technical institutions and private-sector partners. He noted that the mission represented a convergence-driven approach designed to maximise impact across the sector.
With an estimated investment of Rs. 396–411 crore (US $41.37 million-US $42.94 million) over a three-year period, including Rs. 136–151 crore (US $14.21 million-US $15.77 million)from MDoNER, the mission aims to create a globally recognised luxury Muga silk ecosystem, improve value realisation for producers and position Assam as a leading destination for silk-based cultural and experiential tourism.
By 2028, the initiative targets the establishment of five modernised Muga reeling units and a Muga Spun Mill, the creation of 30 FPOs and more than 1,180 Farmer Interest Groups, and the regeneration of 5,000 hectares of Som and Soalu host plants. It also aims to authenticate over 80 per cent of traded Muga silk through GI-linked systems, introduce digital traceability mechanisms for more than 8,000 households and increase annual Muga silk exports to over 2,000 kilograms.
The launch event was attended by Pabitra Margherita, Minister of State for Textiles, along with senior officials from the Government of India, the Government of Assam, the Central Silk Board, textile and sericulture institutions, producer organisations, weavers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders associated with the Muga silk value chain.
