The story
The Maharaja of Mysore set up a silk weaving factory in Mysuru in 1912 with machines brought from Switzerland. The old Mysore region had grown mulberry and reared silkworms since Tipu Sultan's time, so raw silk was close at hand. The factory passed to the state-owned Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) in 1980. Karnataka remains India's leading mulberry silk state, and Mysore Silk carries a GI tag.
In numbers
DC-MSME lists Mysuru silk among the identified MSE clusters of Karnataka.
Karnataka State Industrial Profile 2015-16 (MSME-DI Bengaluru, DC-MSME) · 2016Mulberry silk is nearly 70% of all silk produced in India, and Karnataka leads mulberry silk production.
Silk Industry in India: The Story Behind the Sheen (TERI) · 2021
GI tag
- Mysore SilkApplication no. GI application no. 11Registration details of Geographical Indications (IP India GI Registry)
- Mysore Silk (Logo)Application no. GI application no. 532Registration details of Geographical Indications (IP India GI Registry)
Ways in for a newcomer
- Retail or online sale of GI-tagged silk sarees
- Job-work weaving, twisting or dyeing for saree houses
- Saree finishing, rolling and polishing services
- Silk accessories such as stoles and ties
Problems the cluster faces
- Cheaper imitation and powerloom sarees
- Rising raw silk prices
- Young people leaving weaving
- Need for authentic GI and Silk Mark labelling
Businesses to start here
Saree Rolling and Polishing →Saree Dyeing and Printing →Zari and Silk Embroidery →Handloom and Handicrafts Retail Shop →