Guwahati: A new initiative launched in Assam’s Chandubi on Sunday empowers women through sustainable livelihoods with the inauguration of the Sericulture Resource Centre (SRC) and the roll-out of “KASURIKA – Living for Tomorrow.”
Supported by the Central Silk Board, NABARD, SELCO Foundation, and AVACreations Social Impact Foundation, the projects aim to strengthen women-led Eri sericulture and develop it into a climate-resilient, home-based enterprise.
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The programme will directly benefit 110 women in the Chandubi region, where generations have practised sericulture largely at a subsistence level.
Households in the area remain vulnerable to poverty, income shocks, and human-wildlife conflict due to inadequate infrastructure, weak market access, and dependence on livestock.
The SRC aims to change this by offering training, technology demonstrations, and access to quality Seri-inputs. A Common Facility Centre now houses modern rearing and spinning equipment to ease physical labor and enhance production quality.
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Dedicated nurseries will provide year-round silkworm feed, reducing pressure on forests and minimising conflict with wild animals.
The project builds on the region’s native Barduar Eri silk variety, which yields more thread per cocoon than other types.
With these interventions, the initiative expects to raise the annual income of participating women from Rs 2,000–Rs 2,500 to nearly Rs 50,000, marking a 1,900 percent increase.
The Central Silk Board has granted Rs 4 lakh for rearing houses and post-cocoon processing facilities. NABARD sanctioned Rs 24.69 lakh for nurseries, equipment, and a grainage building, while SELCO Foundation solarised the SRC to ensure an eco-friendly and cost-effective power supply.
AVACreations Social Impact Foundation committed Rs 11.48 lakh for community mobilisation, training, and market facilitation.
Speaking on the occasion, Loken Das, Chief General Manager of NABARD, said the project strengthens institutions and empowers women.
Dr Kartik Neog, Director of CMERTI, also noted that the Central Silk Board’s support will establish scientific rearing practices and improve quality standards.
Dr M Maheswari, Director of MESSO, described the effort as a convergence model. Nayan Jyoti Das, Range Officer of Loharghat Forest Range, pointed out that host plant nurseries will reduce forest pressure and benefit the environment.
The project also aligns with national campaigns such as “Mera Resham Mera Abhiman” and supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including poverty reduction, gender equality, and climate action.
By blending tradition with innovation, the Chandubi cluster is also set to emerge as a replicable model for sustainable sericulture across Assam and beyond.