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Bengaluru shoppers line up at 4 am for Mysore silk sarees: ‘Michael Kors & Gucci’s need to learn’

A video showing the early-morning rush outside the KSIC outlet has since gone viral on social media, drawing widespread attention.

3 min readNew DelhiJan 20, 2026 06:46 PM IST

KSIC has introduced stricter measures to manage the crowds where each customer can buy just one saree

Long before Bengaluru stirred awake on Tuesday, an unusual crowd had already gathered outside the Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) showroom. According to a viral post, around 4 am, people began lining up quietly, and by the time the sun rose, the queue had grown into a long, winding line. Families waited together, elderly women held on to their handbags, and younger shoppers spent time on their phones, all hoping to buy an authentic Mysore silk saree.

Mysore silk sarees, known for their rich texture and fine craftsmanship, are priced anywhere between Rs 23,000 and Rs 2.5 lakh. A video showing the early-morning rush outside the KSIC outlet has since gone viral on social media, drawing widespread attention.

With demand surging, KSIC has introduced stricter measures to manage the crowds. As reported by Kannada Prabha, the showroom is now operating with a token system. Only those with tokens are allowed inside, and each customer can buy just one saree.

A post on X shared visuals of the long queue, showing people waiting patiently outside the store. Some sat on plastic chairs, while others stood in line for hours. The caption explained, “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.”

It further added, “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.”

Check out the post:

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

The post quickly crossed 2 lakh views in just a few hours, sparking lively discussions online. One user pointed out, “Men have all the right to queue up for iphones 12 hrs before the shop opens, but women lining up for saree is much talked about.”

Another commented, “The likes of Michael Kors & Gucci’s need to learn lessons from Karnataka Silk Corporation.” Others drew nostalgic parallels, with one user saying, “They are being given 60-70-80’s vibes!! Chalo.. we used to stand in queue for ration, books, stationary etc.. now these people are standing in queue for a saree!!”

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A fourth user questioned the criticism altogether, writing, “People queue up for PlayStation, they queue up for Iphone, people even queue up at cult restaurants, so whats so weird if they queue up for silk saree?”