Preparation of Indigenous Warp Quality Tasar Silk Yarn in Modified Buniyaad Reeling Machine to Replace Imported Korean Tasar Silk Yarn

Tasar silk is an important part of India’s non-mulberry sericulture, supporting the livelihoods of tribal communities across several states. Known for its natural sheen and strength, Tasar silk has significant potential in eco-textiles and handloom weaving. Although India leads in Tasar silk production, it heavily depends on imported warp-grade yarns due to limitations in indigenous reeling techniques. The Buniyaad reeling machine, while an improvement over traditional methods, currently yields yarns suitable only for weft applications due to quality constraints. The proposed project aims to modify this machine for wet reeling to produce fine, uniform, and strong warp-grade yarn domestically. This advancement will reduce import dependency, improve rural incomes, and strengthen India's silk sector under the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. The present study evaluated indigenous reeling trials using the Buniyaad reeling machine, enhanced with croissure and slit button attachments, to develop warp-quality Tasar silk yarns comparable to imported Korean yarns. Four trials (T1–T4) were conducted with optimized reeling parameters, resulting in significant improvements in linear density and tenacity, while elongation remained consistent with the control. Among them, Trial T4, which used a reeling composition of 3 Tasar and 2 Mulberry cocoons, demonstrated the best performance with the lowest overall deviation (31.68%) from the control. These results highlight the potential of strategically modified indigenous technologies in producing high-quality warp-grade Tasar silk yarns. The findings suggest that further refinement of these processes can reduce import dependency and strengthen the self-reliance of India’s silk sector.