Chinese silk is popular in India but the Coronavirus has put a strain on imports. Indian fabric wholesalers are looking for alternatives as the wedding season is about to begin. Silk imported from China is widely used to make Indian traditional wear. Chinese textiles are in demand due to their quality and price, which is often cheaper than domestically produced alternatives.

Given that there are travel restrictions, many traders who used to supply fabrics to retail stores and fashion designers can’t visit their suppliers in China. Other textiles imported in large quantities from China to India include tulle, chiffon, net, crepe, and georgette, textiles used in large quantities for summer occasion wear.

India’s silk imports have fallen drastically over the last four years. The country hopes to reduce its dependence on China for the import of high quality silk and become self-sufficient in silk production by 2022. The decrease in import volumes has been primarily on the back of an increase in production of bivoltine silk. While the total production of raw silk has recorded an annual growth rate of around five per cent, that of bivoltine silk which is superior quality silk has grown by 13 per cent.