There are some things that are just present in the wardrobe of every Indian family out there.
One would be the faux leather-bound file housing all important documents, another would be bags inside bags, some old forgotten things and of course any mother’s silk saree.
While these might be quite commonplace, apparently, the demand for the silk saree is such that many women are waking up pre-dawn to stand outside saree shops in order to get their hands on prime material.
Now, this is not some joke or exaggeration; it was noticed when a social media user posted a video that has now gone viral showing women standing in line outside a saree shop in Bengaluru since before sunrise in order to get their hands on a Mysore silk saree.
One would see such lines outside of trendy cafes, or for concert tickets or even for branded things. So what happened and why is there such an interest in Mysore silk sarees?
What Is The Viral Incident?
On January 20, 2026, user Rakesh Krishnan Simha posted a video showing a long queue of women outside a Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) showroom.
Explaining it, he wrote, “Women queue up from 4.00 am outside a Karnataka Soviet (sorry Silk) Industries Corporation showroom to buy silk sarees starting from ₹23,000 and going up to ₹250,000. Only 1 saree per customer, and you need a token to be in the queue.”
Women queue up from 4.00 AM outside a Karnataka Soviet (sorry Silk) Industries Corporation showroom to buy silk sarees starting from ₹23,000 and going up to ₹250,000. Only 1 saree per customer and you need a token to be in the queue.
There is an ongoing shortage (or more… pic.twitter.com/d100w3hql0
— Rakesh Krishnan Simha (@ByRakeshSimha) January 20, 2026
Simha further talked about the current shortage of pure Mysore silk sarees and the reasons for that.
He wrote, “There is an ongoing shortage (or more precisely, a supply shortfall) of authentic Mysore silk sarees, particularly those produced by the Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation, which holds the official production and GI-tagged rights for pure Mysore silk sarees. This has been a consistent issue throughout 2025, with no clear indication of resolution into 2026.
First up, the Corporation has a limited number of skilled in-house weavers and artisans. Their training takes 6-7 months for even basic proficiency. Production is restricted to the Corporation’s trained workforce and facilities, preventing rapid scaling.
Seasonal peaks (weddings, Varalakshmi Puja, Gowri Ganesha, Deepavali) worsen the crunch, with showrooms often selling out quickly.”
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The History Of Mysore Silk Sarees
The story of Mysore silk is inseparable from Karnataka’s royal legacy in the late 18th century. Apparently, during the 1790s, the Sultan of Mysore, Tipu Sultan, developed a heavy appreciation of fine silk after he was gifted the fabric by an ambassador of China.
He then proceeded to actively encourage silk cultivation and the establishment of breeding centres in the region itself. He reportedly sent out envoys to Bengal and China to collect silkworms for this reason.
The deputation from Bengal was the only one to bring back silkworms, which eventually evolved and morphed into the ‘Pure Mysore race’ as per a Hindustan Times report.
The next big thing happened in 1912, when Maharaja Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV imported 32 power looms from Switzerland and launched the Mysore Silk Factory to supply silk fabrics to the royal household.
Post-Independence, the enterprise was taken over by the Mysore State Sericulture Department, which then came under the Government of Karnataka’s enterprise called Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) in 1980. KSIC remains the sole authorised government body producing official Mysore silk sarees today.
Mulberry silk, which is produced from cocoons of silkworms fed on mulberry leaves in Karnataka and is the base of the Mysore silk, was also the first GI-tagged product for Karnataka in 2005.
Mysore silk sarees vary in cost depending on design complexity and the amount of metal zari used. As per reports, the price range for authentic KSIC pieces can go from Rs. 23,000 to Rs. 2.5 lakh, reflecting craftsmanship intensity, metal content and colour customisation.
A CNBCTV18 report also explained that rising gold prices can have an influence on production costs, since the genuine zari work seen in the borders, motifs and pallus of these saris uses gold and silver threads, leading to fluctuation in saree prices.
An authentic Mysore Silk saree would be crafted from 100 percent pure silk and feature zari made using a silk core thread wrapped in silver wire and coated with 24-carat gold. As per an Indulge Express report, this genuine Mysore saree could contain anywhere around “0.65 to 0.9 percent gold and about 65 percent silver” in threadwork alone.
To ensure you’re getting the genuine product, always verify the unique saree number, which is a tamper-proof hologram provided by KSIC to each product. This is not just any other number, but a guarantee that it’s an authentic product.
Further, genuine Mysore silk sarees are sold only at KSIC showrooms, its official website and authorised government outlets. Along with that, check the bill as well to see if it has an authentic label on it or not.
Why Is It Unique?
Unlike luxury fashion houses such as Hermès, which operate within a global commercial system, Mysore silk production is limited by craft capacity. Which means that just because demand increases, it doesn’t mean supply can be increased at will, as each saree requires careful weaving and zari integration.
Reports also note that this resistance to mass production has ironically become Mysore silk’s greatest strength. In a world saturated with fast fashion, Mysore silk offers:
- Slow craftsmanship
- Material authenticity
- Cultural continuity
There has been a noticeable increase in the popularity of silk as a fabric in the past couple of years. Where at one point it was thought to be something for older women, the younger generation has shown a rising interest in it, leading to an increase in demand.
This interest by the younger generation could also be due to how KSIC itself has tried to rebrand, coming out with 30 new designs and an expanded colour palette since 2023.
KSIC has gone beyond its traditional colours of emeralds and maroons, instead bringing in pastels and contemporary colour schemes, including ones that can be worn in places besides a wedding or religious ritual, such as the office and more.
The expansion of silk sarees to fit into other areas of one’s life has also contributed to more people opting for them. According to an India Today report, Zehera Naseem, IAS, Managing Director of KSIC, revealed how production has increased over the years.
As per the report, around 5.46 lakh metres of silk fabric were produced by KSIC, with 10,800 sarees sold. The production number increased to 5.72 lakh metres in 2024-25 and crossed 4.75 lakh metres by December 2025-26 itself.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Hindustan Times, India Today, Indulge Express
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
This post is tagged under: Indians, Indians obsession, mysore silk, mysore silk Indians, mysore silk saree, mysore silk saree viral, mysore silk history, mysore silk origin, mysore silk cost, mysore silk saree cost, mysore silk saree trivia, mysore silk saree production
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