How silk fabric is made in India
India weaves both cultivated mulberry silk and wild silks. Mulberry silk gives smooth, lustrous fabrics such as habotai, crepe, satin and organza. Tussar is darker and coarser with a natural texture; eri is soft and matt; muga has a natural golden colour. Dupion and raw silk carry slubs by nature.
Raw silk contains sericin, a gum that is removed by degumming in hot soapy or alkaline baths. Degumming sets the final weight, handle and lustre, and uneven degumming shows as stiff or dull streaks. Silk is then dyed or printed, and finished.
IBEF names Varanasi, Bhagalpur, Kanchipuram, Sualkuchi and Srinagar as silk centres and reports natural silk yarn, fabric and made-up exports of US$212.6 million for April 2025 to February 2026. Bhagalpur is known for tussar, and Varanasi and Kanchipuram for mulberry silk weaving.
What we check on silk fabric
| Check | How it is checked | What fails |
|---|---|---|
| Fault grading | Each sampled roll run over a lit table; faults scored by length | Points per area above the agreed limit |
| Weight | Circular cutter and scale for GSM, converted to momme where ordered | Lighter than ordered (a cost saving that is hard to see) |
| Degumming and handle | Fabric viewed at a low angle and felt across the width | Stiff, dull or blotchy streaks; harsh handle on one side |
| Water spots and marks | Face scanned under raking light | Rings or spots from drips or damp storage |
| Shade | Swatches from each roll and each end of a roll compared under one light | Shade change between rolls or from selvedge to centre |
| Seam slippage risk | Fabric pinched and pulled across the weave; lab seam-slippage test on a sample | Yarns slide apart easily, common in loose satins and light crepes |
| Fibre | Burn test on loose yarn; lab composition test for the label | Viscose, polyester or blend where pure silk is ordered |
| Width and length | Measured on the table against the roll ticket | Short or narrow rolls |
Wild silks are judged on their own terms. Tussar varies in natural colour from cocoon to cocoon and carries more slubs than mulberry silk, and eri has a soft, cotton-like handle. A mulberry-silk reference applied to tussar would reject good cloth, so each silk type needs its own signed reference piece.
Common faults and how they are classed
| Fault | Class |
|---|---|
| Fibre not as ordered, or fabric well below the ordered weight | Critical for the claim |
| Hole, snag or pulled yarn on the face | Major |
| Water ring or spot in a cuttable area | Major |
| Degumming streak across the width | Major |
| Shade change within a roll | Major |
| Slubs in dupion or raw silk within the reference | Not a defect |
Silk faults often cannot be repaired by washing or pressing; a water spot may only be removed by re-finishing the whole roll. Agree what happens to marked rolls before the inspection.
Labels, claims and market rules
- Fibre naming. "Silk" is a protected fibre name in the US and the EU. Wild silks are still silk; a blend must list each fibre by percentage. See EU textile labelling.
- Silk Mark. A voluntary purity label from the Silk Mark Organisation of India, an initiative of the Central Silk Board, for products of pure natural silk. Ask for the authorised-user certificate if your fabric carries it.
- Flammability. Silk for clothing in the US falls under 16 CFR 1610. Light plain silk below 2.6 oz/yd² is not exempt, and brushed or napped silk needs testing whatever its weight.
- Chemicals. Dyes and finishes on skin-contact fabric fall under REACH and buyer restricted-substance lists; see azo dyes and restricted substances and OEKO-TEX for certified fabric.
Packing, transit and your purchase order
Silk is usually shipped rolled on tubes, face inwards, wrapped in paper and polythene, so folds do not crack the finish and the face is protected. Damp and heat cause water marks and mould; rolls must be dry and cartons kept off container floors. Heavy rolls should not be stacked on light organza or chiffon. The inspector checks roll tickets, wrapping, dryness and carton marks.
- Silk type, weave, momme or GSM, and width.
- Degumming and finish, with a signed handle reference.
- Shade tolerance and shade grouping by roll.
- Fault scoring method and acceptance limit.
- Lab tests: fibre composition, colour fastness, seam slippage.
- Roll length, tube, wrap and ticket details.
For silk woven into sarees, see silk sarees. For finished silk accessories, see scarves and stoles.