MYSURU: The Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) will supply its first instalment of silk sarees to Air India in January.
The airline had ordered a total of 10,000 sarees for its air hostesses in November after being impressed by the quality. This transaction alone is expected to fetch the state-owned corporation a total `6.5 crore in the next four months. Apart from this, Rashtrapati Bhavan has ordered shawls from the corporation which will be used to honour foreign delegates. KSIC chairman D Basavaraj told reporters on Wednesday that Rashtrapati Bhavan had ordered 50 shawls with broad borders.
“Though the number seems small, KSIC hopes to get orders for more shawls in the future,” he said.
Basavaraj said new appointments will be made in the KSIC as close to 175 people are retiring from the corporation in the next three years. He said KSIC had recorded a net profit of `16.68 crore with a turnover of `127 crore in the year 2013-14. KSIC has already had a turnover of `90 crore in the first nine months of 2014-15, `8 crore more than the transaction recorded in the corresponding period in 2013-14, he said.
New electronic jacquard machines have been purchased at a cost of `60 lakh and 10 more such machines will be procured soon.
Another machine at a cost of `1.35 crore will be imported from China to weave silk thread, he said.
KSIC Outlet at Vibrant Gujarat
KSIC will set up an outlet at the international expo Vibrant Gujarat in Ahmedabad from January 7 to 13.
He said Salma Ansari, wife of Vice-President Hamid Ansari will visit the KSIC outlet at MG Road in Bengaluru on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj will also visit other KSIC outlets on January 8.
Basavaraj said stern action will be taken against traders duping tourists by selling other brands of silk sarees in the name of KSIC in commercial areas in the city.