To reveal the main factors involved in the development of the silk textile industry in developing countries, this study compared the industries of Laos and Nepal. In Laos, a private silk textile industry comprising sericulture, silk reeling, and silk weaving was launched in 1993 by a rural development program. The industry has thrived since then. In the 2000s, receiving a boost from government policy, it has become strategically important to poverty eradication and economic growth. The silk textile industry in Laos has thus ensured its security. In Nepal, in contrast, the government controlled the silk industry until 2009, focusing mainly on sericulture and silk reeling. But it accorded no importance to silk weaving for the development of the overall industry. There is no national policy on silk textiles, and the private sector has received little encouragement to develop the industry. These differences between Laos and Nepal reveal important factors involved in the development of the silk textile industry in developing countries.
