From silk sarees to cocoon trays, hybrids and cocoon-based products, this year’s Silk Mark Expo in Bengaluru brought together the gamut of Indian sericulture, from the familiar to the rarely seen.
The Expo features 43 stalls from weaving clusters and silk producing regions across the country.
Organized by the Silk Mark Organization of India (SMOI) under the Ministry of Textiles, the Silk Mark Expo 2025 was inaugurated on Thursday at Karnataka’s Chitrakala Parish and the exhibition will continue till December 9.
Pragathi Rishab Shetty, fashion stylist and costume designer; P. Sivakumar, Member-Secretary, Central Silk Board and Vice-Chairman, SMOI; and Naresh Babu N., Joint Secretary (Technical), Central Silk Board and CEO, SMOI were present during the inauguration.
One of the sections in the exhibit displayed the 1st to 5th instar stages of the silkworm to show how the larvae grow before spinning the cocoons. Each instar marks a growth stage, the worm feeds on mulberry leaves, sheds its skin and moves on to the next stage where it eventually forms a cocoon that becomes silk.
Another section showcased silkworm hybrids like Krisharaja double hybrid, Bulgarian double hybrid, colored silk lines and Mysore silk samples. These hybrids are used to improve cocoon weight, uniformity and natural hues preferred by different weave clusters, representatives at the show said.
There were also demonstrations of silkworm-derived products, including roasted and spiced silkworm cocoons and cocoon oil, which is being explored for food and cosmetic applications.
The textile stalls featured groups from Madanapalle, Tantipara, Raipur, Godda, Varanasi and Bengaluru where traditional sarees like Kanjivaram, Banarasi, Pochampally, Paithani, Uppada and Murshidabad were showcased along with tasar jackets, dhotis, eri socks, silk shirts and accessories.
Published – 04 Dec 2025 19:34 IST
