Valued for its texture, strength, natural gold colour and versatility, tussar is categorised, along with Eri and Muga, as a highly breathable silk fibre, which makes it suitable for the warmer climates of South Asia. Also known as kosa or wild silk, the name tussar is believed to have derived from the French tussore as well as the Sanskrit tasara (meaning “to shuttle”).

Tussar fibres are harvested from the silkworm species of the moth genus Antheraea, including Antheraea mylitta, Antheraea proylei, Antheraea pernyi and Antheraea yamamai, which subsist on the indigenous arjun and sal trees instead of mulberry. Tussar fibres are three to four times stronger than mulberry silk. The process of reeling tussar begins with collecting the insects through sericulture, although tussar production differs from standard sericulture in that it is produced using the ahimsa (non-violent) silk manufacturing process, where the larvae have either left the cocoons or are sun-dried before they are boiled in an alkaline solution to soften the fibres and enable quicker extraction of yarn; the longer the cocoons are boiled, the softer the silk. Subsequently, the threads are extracted by pulling and rubbing the cocoons on the thighs or on a kharpa (tile) — a completely manual process undertaken exclusively by the women of the community. The extracts obtained are thin and naturally gold in colour. The resulting silk is reeled in the same way as mulberry silk, following which it is immersed in an acid solution, then washed in a boiling solution of soap or washing soda.

Tussar silk can be classified into several types depending on the percentage of cotton blended with the silk in the warp. While raw tussar silk can often be uneven, the finished weave is smooth and shiny, yet textured and durable, making it suitable for use in clothing and other fabrics such as sarees, dhotis, shawls, purses and upholstery, as well as the base material for various handicrafts. Due to its durability and lustrous quality, tussar is suitable for embroidery and is used in textiles such as ikat and ekphulia sarees. It is also used in pattachitras and kantha stitches. Tussar was also used with cotton in Spanish capes dating to seventeenth-century Bengal. Depending on the region of their origin, tussar fabrics are decorated with different motifs, such as designs of flowers, fish, conch shells, rudrakshas or keris. Some varieties are also decorated with Bagh and Bagru block prints.