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introduction of niche products in limited quantities has also
earned KSIC a favourable response. In May this year, it launched
the ‘Threads of Gold Collection’ – a collection
of high-end expensive saris, each costing between Rs 100,000
to Rs 150,000 as against an average price of its normal range,
which costs about Rs 7,000 each. The collection was launched
by Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore in New Delhi. In Karnataka,
the collection was launched by the then chief minister Kumaraswamy.
The company has so far sold twenty-eight of the sixty limited
range saris that it produced.
Moreover,
KSIC manufactures six to seven pieces per month of another
high-end range of saris called the 'Wedding Collection' that
cost about Rs 40,000 each. The demand for this range is high
and the saris are generally fully booked, according to company
sources.
KSIC
is now planning on appointing franchisees in the four major
metros. So far, its promotion activities have been limited
to BTL and some print and billboard advertisements for which
the company spent Rs 8.5 million last year. This year, the
promotion budgets have been increased to Rs 9 million. Once
the franchisees have been appointed across the country, the
company plans a media campaign that will include TVC's, reports
a source.
KSIC
owns the brand ‘Mysore Silk’ and has twelve outlets
for its products in India, of which nine are in Karnataka
and one each in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad.
Some of the outlets outside Karnataka belong to MSIL.
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