Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most frequent form of variation in the genome of any organism. Owing to their greater abundance, they are considered useful for identifying cultivars, construction of higher density linkage maps, and detection of genes (QTLs) associated with complex agronomic traits and diseases. Although, SNPs have been used recently for constructing a high density genetic map in silkworm and a set of 118 SNPs have been identified in tasar silkworms, not much progress has been made in sericulture to utilize the vast potential of SNPs. Thus, this review mainly focuses on some of the important methods of SNP discovery, validation and genotyping. Emphasis has also been given to the possible uses of SNP genotyping in the improvement of silkworms and their host plants.