About Silkalay

Silkalay is an amalgamation of two words, Silk and Alay ( आलय- Hindi word meaning a house of or abode). Thus it was pretty clear in the minds of the founders that they wanted to create a place rather a home where Silk and its varieties dwell and preserve the tradition of the land for future generations to come. It was in the year 1976 when Jorhat (cultural capital of Assam) witnessed its first ever store which boasted of authentic Assamese Silk garments and dress material. The materials were procured from the weavers of Sualkuchi (Situated on the northern bank of the river Brahmaputra, about 35 kms from Guwahati and is a block of Kamrup(R) District. It has a large number of cottage industries engaged in handloom work, for which it is also known as the "Manchester of Assam"). At that time very few non-Assamese business concerns showed interest in doing business in Assam silk. However the founders of Silkalay had the determination to carve out a niche in this line of business and eventually it did. The journey though was filled with lots of ups and downs but eventually it was the undying spirit of the founders that kept the management of Silkalay going through all obstacles and eventually emerged victorious. Due to lack of proper road transportation services to Sualkuchi, back then, the founders of Silkalay took great pain to travel to Sualkuchi via boats and mini steamers from Jorhat and then later on from Guwahati and meet the weavers there. The founders suggested different patterns and designs that may be additionally weaved on the base materials that may match with the ongoing fashion taste of the consumers. And thus began a journey of a lifetime that was sure to shape the fashion industry of Assam forever.

With the support of the weavers from Sualkuchi and wonderful response from the local customers, the founders in 1993 embarked on another journey and established a new branch at Pan Bazar, Guwahati. With the advent of a new Silk Store in Guwahati, the craze among the customers grew by leaps and bounds. Soon, Silkalay became a household name all over Assam. It was the era when handloom industry was booming and as such gave rise to lots of competitors who opened retail and wholesale stores in and around Pan Bazar to lure more and more customers. What made Silkalay stand apart from its competitors was the fact that the management team of Silkalay ran the entire business keeping its customers as the topmost priority. Maintaing Quality was always the basic principle that governed the day to day activities and under no circumstances it was compromised. Over a decade Silkalay became a brand all over the State. As for the founders, there was no looking back. Come 2008 and Guwahati witnessed the first ever mega show room of authentic Assamese Silk located at GS road. The two storeyed showroom soon proved to be a boom not only for the local customers but also attracted visitors and tourists who wished to buy traditional Assamese attires and dress materials and mementos to preserve their fond memories from Assam. What followed was the foray into the new markets of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia in 2008 and 2018 respectively.

All these stores have been serving its customers with the zeal to deliver better and better products. Apart from selling products, like Mekhala Chaddar and Silk Sarees, other accessories such as Salwar Suit/Shirting pieces, Shawls, Assamese Gamusa (Towels), Mementos, Imitatation Jewellery etc. have also contributed to the total sales over the years. With the changing times, Silkalay continued to expand its horizon by launching a website in 2015 catering to the needs of its customers all across the globe. Soon the products of Silkalay reached other states of India and internationally to countries like The US, Japan, Australia and Singapore and so on.

Today, Silkalay is selling Assam's finest silk yarn to both domestic and international customers. We have built up an enviable reputation by virtue of exquisite quality and craftsmanship of materials. We strive to serve and serve the best and will continue to do so.