Karnataka govt’s 6.2 crore deal with Tamannaah Bhatia for KSDL endorsement draws flak: ‘When Kannada actresses like…’

The decision drew flak from certain sections of society who questioned her appointment. “When local Kannada young actresses like @AshikaRanganath could be taken as brand ambassadors, why appoint and promote Hindi ones?” a woman questioned the decision on X. Reacting to it, state Commerce and Industries Minister M B Patil on Thursday explained that the decision was taken after much deliberation “to penetrate markets beyond Karnataka aggressively”.

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The KSDL has the deepest respect and regards for the Kannada film industry, Patil said, adding that some Kannada movies are giving competition to even Bollywood films. “Mysore Sandal has a very good brand recall within Karnataka, which shall be strengthened. However, the intent of Mysore Sandal is to also penetrate markets beyond Karnataka aggressively,” the minister clarified.

“The pride of Karnataka is also a jewel of the nation. Hence, it’s an independent strategic decision of the PSU board after consulting various marketing experts,” Patil noted.

According to him, choosing a brand ambassador takes a lot of deliberation and also considerations like availability for any given category if they have a non-competition agreement, social media presence, coherence with the brand, product and target audience, and marketing fit and reach.

“Our vision is for KSDL to touch annual revenue of Rs 5,000 crore by 2028,” the minister said.