Exclusive GI tagged Mysuru silk saree outlet at KIA terminal 2

MANGALURU: Even as Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) Ltd has put its plan to open an exclusive KSIC outlet at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport at New Delhi on hold, it has firmed up a move for one at the second terminal building at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in the state capital. This outlet will market the corporation’s exclusive GI-11 tagged sarees with an eye on foreign tourists who are keen to buy the famed Mysuru silk saree.
Confirming that plan to start an outlet at IGI is temporarily on hold, Bhanuprakash S, general manager (marketing), KSIC told TOI on side-lines of a five-day exhibition-cum-sale of Mysuru sarees here that the corporation will set up an exclusive GI tagged saree outlet at terminal 2 of KIA. “For Delhi, we have set up an outlet in the exclusive textile park in the national capital adjacent to the Priyadarshini outlet and it is registering good sales,” he said.
With demand far outstripping supply, Bhanuprakash said KSIC has commissioned work on the second production unit on its Mysuru production complex. “The existing unit is producing 1-lakh sarees or around 300/day,” he said adding new unit will add an additional 30000 sarees per annum. The sales too vary from 250 saree per day to more than 1500 sarees per day on special occasions such as International Women’s Day or Mother’s Day, he said.
The corporation that registered a turnover of Rs 200 crore in last fiscal notched up record sale of sarees worth Rs 25 crore during the Varamahalaxmi festival this year, where 1-lakh sarees were sold. KSIC records most of its sales through its 18 outlets including eight in Bengaluru, six in Mysuru, one each in Channapatna, Davangere, Chennai and Hyderabad, he said adding KSIC has token presence of e-commerce sale of around 20-25 sarees per month.
Earlier, inaugurating the exhibition, Sindhu B Rupesh, deputy commissioner, who earlier had a short stint as director of KSIC during her tenure in the finance department said Mysuru silk sarees are known for their durability. Noting that these sarees are worth the investment, Sindhu, native of Mysuru who prefers plainer version of these premium sarees exhorted the corporation to expand its footprint in the growing e-commerce market as well.