India will spend Rs 1,000 crores to promote research and development, technology transfer and training in the textile sector. R&D is one of the four components of the scheme. R&D projects pertaining to disease-resistant silkworm, host plant improvements, productivity enhancing tools and implements for reeling and waving etc will be done in cooperation with ministries such as Science and Technology, Agriculture and Human Resource Development.

Under R&D, a lot of focus would also be on training, transfer of technology and IT initiatives. For technology transfer, 50,000 people will be trained. Other components of the scheme include setting up seed organizations and farmers’ extension centers, coordination and market development for seed, yarn and silk products and having a quality certification system in place. A quality certification system would require creating a chain of silk testing facilities, farm based and post-cocoon technology upgradation, and export brand promotion.

The scheme aims to achieve self-sufficiency in silk production by 2022 and reduce imports to zero. To achieve this, production of high grade silk in India is expected to reach 20,650 tons by 2022. The country’s textile industry currently generates about 150 billion dollars in annual revenues — 110 billion from the domestic market and 40 billion through exports.