₹400-crore initiative aims to boost incomes of weavers and rearers through branding, exports and silk tourism
Guwahati, June 2: The Centre on Tuesday unveiled Mission Senehjori, an ambitious multi-crore initiative aimed at transforming Assam’s famed Muga silk into a globally recognised luxury brand while boosting the incomes of thousands of weavers and rearers across the state.
Launching the mission alongside Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said the initiative seeks to position Assam as a global hub for premium silk and experiential textile tourism under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of an “Atmanirbhar North East”.
The cluster-based mission, anchored by the Ministry for Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) in partnership with the Assam government, Central Silk Board and Ministry of Textiles, aims to strengthen the entire Muga silk value chain — from host-plant cultivation and silkworm seed production to weaving, branding, exports and digital traceability.
Known as the world’s only naturally golden silk and India’s first GI-tagged silk, Muga supports nearly 2.6 lakh weaver and rearer families in Assam. Yet, despite its rarity and international appeal, the sector remains under-commercialised, officials said.
Scindia said Assam currently produces nearly 90 per cent of the world’s Muga silk, but many producers still earn barely ₹18,000–21,000 annually from the sector.
“Mission Senehjori is designed to transform this reality,” the minister said, adding that the government wants the premium value of Assam’s golden silk to benefit local rearers and weavers rather than only luxury markets.
The mission will cover major silk-producing districts, including Jorhat, Sivasagar, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Majuli and Sualkuchi.
Officials said the initiative will focus on modern reeling infrastructure, regeneration of Som and Soalu host plants, formation of Farmer-Producer Organisations (FPOs), GI authentication and expansion of export markets under the unified “Senehjori” brand.
The Centre has projected an investment of ₹396–411 crore over three years, including ₹136–151 crore from MDoNER.
By 2028, the mission aims to establish five modern Muga reeling units, a Muga spun mill, 30 FPOs and digital traceability systems covering more than 8,000 households. It also targets the regeneration of 5,000 hectares of host plants and the expansion of Muga silk exports.
The initiative also proposes a “Muga Silk Trail”, Silk Tourism Park and annual Muga Utsav festivals to promote Assam’s silk heritage and tourism economy.
The launch programme was attended by Union Ministers Sukanta Majumdar and Pabitra Margherita, besides officials from textile institutions, producer groups and the Central Silk Board.
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