Tamannaah Bhatia signs Rs 6.2 crore deal to endorse Mysore Sandal soap, Kannada activists seeking red

The Karnataka government signing up multi-lingual actor Tamannaah Bhatia as the brand ambassador for Mysore sandal soap has sparked a controversy with pro-Kannada activists opposing the decision. The activists have questioned the government's preference for a non-Kannadiga actor when the Kannada film industry has enough accomplished stars.

Bhatia has signed a Rs 6.2 crore deal for two years with the government-owned Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) to endorse the iconic soap brand first introduced in 1916 by the Mysore Kingdom, under the reign of Maharaja Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV, with the support of Dewan Sir M. Visvesvaraya. The idea was to make use of the abundant supply of sandalwood in the Mysore region and reduce the export of raw sandalwood by adding value through local production.

State Industries minister M.B. Patil defended the move stating that the KSDL had 'deepest respects and regards' for the Kannada film industry. "Some Kannada movies are giving competition to even Bollywood movies. The Mysore sandal soap has a very good brand recall within Karnataka which shall be strengthened. However, our intent is to penetrate markets beyond Karnataka. The pride of Karnataka (sandal soap) is also a jewel of the nation. Hence it’s an independent strategic decision of the PSU board after consulting various marketing experts," reasoned Patil.  

Elaborating on the selection of the brand ambassador, the minister said, "Choosing a brand ambassador takes a lot of deliberation and considerations like their availability for any given category (if they are into any non-compete agreement), their social media presence and their coherence with the brand, product, and target audience. We have considered the marketing fit and reach too." 

"The annual turnover of KSDL last year was Rs 1785 crore and the Karnataka market accounted for 18 percent, while the rest was from other southern states. Our vision is for KSDL to touch Rs 5000 crore as the annual revenue by 2028," asserted Patil.

India