An industrial visit to “KSIC Silk Weaving Factory and Mysore Sandal Soap Factory” Mysuru, Karnataka was successfully organized by the Dept of Commerce and Management for final year B.Com and BBA students on 9th July 2023.
Students visited the factory to understand how the production activity, management process, technology works and also to acquire knowledge and experience.
KSIC Silk Weaving Factory: The silk weaving factory in Mysuru, presently owned by Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation Limited (KSIC), was established in the year 1912 by Sri Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, Maharaja of Mysore province. Initially the silk fabrics were manufactured and supplied to meet the requirements of the royal family and ornamental fabrics to their armed forces. In 1980 the Silk weaving factory was handed over to Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation Ltd., a Govt. of Karnataka enterprise and is popularly known as KSIC.
KSIC is the only organization in the country commanding the entire gamut of silk production right from reeling of cocoons to the weaving of pure silk fabric of various shades and designs, all under one roof. KSIC uses only high quality pure natural silk and 100% pure gold zari.
As per this registration, KSIC has become the sole proprietor for ‘Mysore Silk’. The Company has been certified for standards of ISO 9001-2015 and EMS 14001-2015 and also obtained OSHAS 18001-2007 Certificate Combined Integrated Management System by M/s. TUV Rhineland.
The main source of silk for this factory is silk cocoons. Farmers from various parts market the silk cocoons in this place every day. Silk cocoons are handpicked at this market from KSIC officials, who have expertise in Mysore silk, every day as part of government bidding process and are sent to the raw silk production factory located in T.Narasipura. At this factory, the silk cocoons are boiled to extract threads and converted into thread rolls which are sent to the weaving factory located in Mysore. These threads are used to produce various silk products among which Mysore silk saree is the most popular.
Students were divided into two batches and at 11.00 am escorted to assembly line by the guide and briefly explained about the process and operations undertaken.
Mysore Sandal Soap Factory:
Mysore Sandal Soap is a brand of soap manufactured by the Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), a company owned by the government of Karnataka in India. This soap has been manufactured since 1916, when Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV, the king of Mysore, set up the Government Soap Factory in Bangalore. Mysore Sandal Soap is the only soap in the world made from 100% pure sandalwood oil. KSDL owns a proprietary geographical indication tag on the soap, which gives it intellectual property rights to use the brand name, to ensure quality, and to prevent piracy and unauthorised use by other manufacturers.
The HR department executive briefed the entire manufacturing process of all Mysore sandal products to the visitors.