'This Is How Life Was In Soviet Union': Viral Video Shows Long 4 AM Queue For Mysore Silk In Bengaluru

Bengaluru: A video showing women queuing up outside a Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) showroom from as early as 4 AM has surfaced on social media.

The video, now viral, was posted by defence analyst Rakesh Krishnan Simha on the social media platform X on Tuesday. Showing customers lining up from dawn to purchase authentic Mysore silk sarees, he wrote, "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 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," the post added. It draws attention to a supply shortfall of the high-value textile, which continues to be a prized possession for many in the country.

Why did the demand surge?

The rush, depicted in the viral video, comes amid a mismatch between the demand and availability of Mysore silk sarees, which are produced exclusively by KSIC under the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. Prices for the sarees range from around Rs 23,000 to as high as Rs 2.5 lakh, depending on their design, zari content and craftsmanship.

The shortage of supply of this evidently prized possession has been persisting since 2025, the post on X claimed.

KSIC relies on a limited number of trained in-house weavers and artisans, and the process of training new workers takes approximately six to seven months to achieve basic proficiency, which accounts for the differences in demand and supply of the products. Unlike private manufacturers, KSIC limits production to its own facilities to maintain quality and authenticity, which further prevents rapid scaling.

Seasonal demand rises during wedding season and festive periods such as Varalakshmi Puja, Gowri Ganesha and Deepavali, intensifying the pressure, often resulting in showrooms selling out within hours.

Mixed responses

Referring to the supply shortage, the post compared the pre-dawn queue with 'life at soviet union'. "This is how life was in the Soviet Union, which was plagued by shortages of almost everything except bread. But in fairness to the Corporation, at least authenticity is ensured," it said, drawing mixed responses on X.

"Short supply + long queues + viral buzz = massive win for authenticity," a user commented. Another user said that 'robust, practical solutions' could be implemented by the Karnataka Government to address this issue.

"Totally get the Soviet shortage vibes: limited weavers take months to train, no quick scaling, festival/wedding spikes emptying stocks fast. But at least you know it's 100% authentic GI-tagged pure silk no fake Chinese stuff like in those Tirupati scandals," another comment read.

Crowd control measures

KSIC has reportedly introduced crowd-control measures at its showrooms following the surge in footfall. According to reports, entry inside the seemingly coveted showroom is permitted only to customers holding tokens, and purchases have been restricted to one saree per person. These measures are aimed at preventing hoarding, ensuring fair access, and helping to manage the heavy demand.

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