Fakes and imitations are encashing on the name, fame and demand of the century-old Mysore Silk sarees brand, misleading buyers in stores and on online platforms.
Mysuru silk sarees, going by the brand name Mysore Silk, the pride of Karnataka, trace their origin to 1912 and are available only in Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) showrooms. But many traders sell sarees, claiming they are Mysore Silk, especially around tourist attractions of Mysuru. Of late, sarees are sold even on online platforms, claiming to be Mysore Silk, which has a geographical indication (GI) tag. A GI tag acts as an intellectual property right, ensuring only those authorised use the name.
Showrooms of imitation or fake are concentrated around tourist attractions like Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens (Mysuru Zoo), KR Circle near Mysuru Palace, St Philomena's Church, Jaganmohan Palace, Suburban Bus Stand on Bengaluru Road, on Chamundi Hill Road and in buildings of well-known hotels.
The traders play up Mysuru, Karnataka or acronyms that resemble KSIC - like KSC, KSC Silk, KSCE or KSCI - to attract gullible buyers. Some of them use logos like 'rajahamsa; or 'howdah elephant', to relate to the royalty and Mysuru. Some prominently display the 'Silk Mark' logo, but Mysore Silk does not display it. While KSIC showrooms are modest, these shops are huge and attractive.
In the 2025-26 fiscal, KSIC produced 1.10 lakh sarees, while demand is nearly 50 per cent higher, but the corporation cannot easily scale up capacity. As KSIC manages the entire process in-house, from silk thread procurement and reeling to the final stage, expansion is gradual.