Bengaluru, May 23 (UNI) Karnataka Industries Minister M B Patil on Friday defended the appointment of actress Tamannaah Bhatia as the brand ambassador for Mysore Sandal Soap, stating that the decision was based solely on business considerations and market strategy, not on language or regional preferences.
Amid criticism from pro-Kannada groups over the choice of a non-Kannadiga celebrity to represent the state’s iconic brand, Patil clarified that the selection was made by a committee headed by Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) chairman, after evaluating several leading actresses.
"Tamannaah Bhatia was chosen after considering multiple factors. Other names like Rashmika Mandanna, Kiara Advani, Pooja Hegde and Deepika Padukone were considered, but many were already associated with competing products. Tamannaah has a following of 2.8 crore, and that reach is vital for a national and global push," he told reporters.
Patil pointed out that only 18 per cent of Mysore Sandal Soap sales occur within Karnataka, while the remaining 82 per cent comes from other states. "If it were just for Karnataka, we might have chosen a local face. But this is about expanding to pan-India and international markets. This is not about Kannada pride, it is about brand strategy," he said.
He also announced that KSDL has recorded a turnover of Rs 1,788 crore in 2024–25, up from Rs 1,375 crore in 2022–23, with net profits more than doubling from Rs 182 crore to Rs 415 crore in the same period.
Under his leadership, Patil said KSDL has undergone a major turnaround. "The company was once plagued by scandals. I brought in an honest officer, Mr Prashant, from the Forest Department. We stopped malpractices, ramped up production without adding new machinery, and increased efficiency to 110 per cent."
KSDL now aims to achieve a turnover of Rs 5,000 crore. A second factory is coming up in Vijayapura, and a former Hindustan Unilever officer has been roped in as an advisor. An International Brand House has also been set up to launch export-grade packaging and enter Western and Gulf markets.
"This is part of a vision to take forward the legacy of the Mysore Maharaja and Sir M Visvesvaraya. The brand should not be confined to Karnataka alone," Patil said.
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