In a bid to build an image of Mysore, four state government enterprises joined hands to put up a month-long mega show of their products in Mysore from September 19.
The four corporations that will showcase their products to draw Dasara visitors and the local populace are the Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation Ltd (KSIC), which markets the unique Mysore silk sarees, the Karnataka Soaps & Detergents Limited (KSDL) which manufactures the Mysore Sandal Soap and oil, the Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd (KSHDC), which sells handicraft exclusive to Karnataka, and the Karnataka Leather Industries Development Corporation (KLIDC).
As part of its marketing strategy, the KSIC, which manufactures 75,000 sarees every year, priced from Rs 6,500 to Rs 1.94 lakh, has arranged a heritage exhibition on “Cocoons to Fabrics and Vintage Sarees” where vintage sarees from over 450 entries with the oldest saree belonging to 1949, will be showcased to establish its position as a genuine gold-laced silk saree manufacturer.
It will also launch two new design sarees, diamond-studded sarees priced at Rs 1.92 and Rs 1.94 lakh, artificial diamond-studded sarees of Rs 22,000 and perfumed sarees at the inauguration, besides offering a 30 per cent discount to buyers, KSIC managing director Baladeva Krishna said at press meet today.
KSDL, the inheritor of the world-famous Sandalwood Oil Factory, will offer consumers genuine sandalwood oil and sandalwood, which have become scarce and the sale of fakes have become rampant. To give a fillip to the ‘Grow More Sandal Scheme’, it will sell sandalwood saplings.
To popularise sandalwood cultivation, KSDL deputy general manager C M Suvarna Kumar said it had distributed 350,000 saplings under a buy-back scheme. The Thirupathi Thirumalai Devasthanams had sought 100,000 saplings for planting in their religious place. KSDL had asked for 1,000 acres in Shimoga for taking up sandalwood cultivation.
The KSHDC, which has showrooms in 13 places across the country, will showcase craft items from among its 5,000 registered artisans, said its general manager (marketing) G Muniswamy. It had export markets in USA, Europe, Australia, Canada and Malaysia and last year exported a sandalwood ‘Vishvaroopa Darshan’ carving to Beijing (China) worth Rs 84 lakh. It achieved a turnover of Rs 34.69 crore with a profit of Rs 3 crore last year.
The KSIC has secured Geographical Indication Registry for Mysore silk sarees and the KSDL for sandal soap and sandal oil. The KSHDC has obtained GIR for Bidri work, Mysore Rosewood items, Channapatna Lacquer products, Dharwad Kasoothi, and Mysore traditional paintings and applied for Kinhal toys and Dhari (handmade carpets) of Navalgund, Muniswamy said.
KLIDC, which is trying to regain profit position from its 24 showrooms across the state backed by Rs 5 crore financial support from the state, will showcase footwear and leather products.
It was targeting a turnover of Rs 5.26 crore during the present year against Rs 2.9 crore last year, managing director Chikkaiah said.
