Now, made-to-order Mysore Silk sarees

From KSICs kitty

Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation Limited (KSIC), makers of the famous silk drape that has lured women folks from far and wide, has revealed plans to weave custom-made sarees. 

The trend of making tailor-made garments is rapidly becoming the order of the day, as big brands are reaching out to customers with the promise of weaving their dreams on the silk. And KSIC is determined not to be left behind.

According to M K Baladev Krishna, Managing Director of KSIC, the state-owned company plans to capture the market by engaging highly trained weavers for the task.

“If a customer brings a saree and wants the same design pattern to be incorporated on our silk saree, he/she should then place orders for at least five of them,” Krishna told Deccan Herald on Sunday.

Besides determining the design, customers will also be able to choose the quality of silk that goes into the saree. This way, they can decide the price they want to pay for it, Krishna said. 

“KSIC, which owns a geographical indication for the sarees we make, is all set to launch our own brand of readymade garments,” Krishna said. “We have reached an agreement with National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) to source designs for our brand of women garments.”

As part of the agreement, the NIFT has already supplied KSIC 140 designs which would form the basis of their new designer tops and chudidars. With the plan to introduce stylish readymade garments to the youth, KSIC hopes to extend its appeal beyond women preferring traditional wears.

Krishna said the company is also planning to increase its presence across the country by setting up its showrooms in Delhi, Mumbai and Pune this year. This would add to the 13 outlets the company owns already.

Besides being the first to provide sarees to air hostesses and ground staffs of Air India, KSIC has also bagged the order to supply sarees to the Airport Authority of India this year. Krishna added that the company is making operating profits ever since its restructuring four years ago.

The Managing Director is confident that KSIC would make a turn over of Rs 80 crore this year with increased business volumes. If achieved, this would be a significant improvement over the Rs 60 Crore the company had made last year.

DH News Service

* KSIC to engage trained weavers to weave customer-specific sarees
* Minimum order is five, with the customer bringing a particular design of his/her choice
*Customers can also select the price range by identifying the particular quality of silk