Nandini set to sponsor 2024-25 Indian Super League football tournament
Bengaluru: Nandini, the popular dairy brand owned by Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), is gearing up to sponsor the upcoming season of the Indian Super League (ISL) for 2024-25. This move by the state’s renowned dairy cooperative is aimed to promote its brand during the six-month-long sports event.
The 11th season of the ISL, scheduled to run from September 2024 to March 2025, will feature 163 football matches, with thirteen teams competing. According to a report by Money Control, KMF has recently floated a tender for firms to manage and promote the Nandini brand throughout the tournament.
KMF Managing Director M.K. Jagadish revealed that the cooperative is aiming for central sponsorship of the ISL, incorporating brand promotions on LED boards, presentation backdrops, dugout areas, and kiosks at all match venues. Additionally, Nandini will gain 300 seconds of exposure on television and OTT platforms, along with social media management throughout the ISL season, Jagadish added.
In a bid to expand its market reach, Nandini has also launched its whey-based energy drink, ‘Nandini Splash,’ in the U.S., making it available during the World Cup. KMF's MD highlighted that this move is part of a broader strategy to establish Nandini as a global brand.
Expanding further, a senior KMF official mentioned that Nandini is set to introduce its dairy products, including milk, curd, butter, and ghee, in the Delhi market. As part of a trial, these products were transported to Delhi by road, a journey of 56 hours, with the quality remaining unaffected.
Nandini has already made headlines by sponsoring the Scotland and Ireland cricket teams during the T20 World Cup, marking a milestone as the first Indian dairy brand to sponsor international cricket teams. This achievement gained widespread attention during the Karnataka Assembly elections in 2023.
The brand's prominence in Karnataka became a talking point ahead of the state elections when Amul announced plans to sell curd in Bengaluru. Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai clarified that Amul would not replace Nandini in Karnataka, assuring that both brands would coexist in the state's market.
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'The Ba**ds of Bollywood’ mirrors my life, damages my reputation: Sameer Wankhede tells Delhi HC
New Delhi: IRS officer Sameer Wankhede has submitted his reply to the Delhi High Court in the defamation case he filed against Red Chillies Entertainment, the production company owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan. The case pertains to the recently released series The Ba**ds of Bollywood*, which Wankhede claims has defamed him.
In his statement to the court, Wankhede asserted that the show’s portrayal of a police officer is clearly based on him and has caused serious harm to his public image. He cited four key reasons supporting his claim.
First, he said the character in question bears physical similarities to him, including facial and body features. Second, he noted that the character’s working style and mannerisms closely resemble his own.
Third, Wankhede highlighted that the officer in the show is depicted making a high-profile arrest involving a major film personality, which he said directly mirrors his own involvement in the Aryan Khan drug case.
Fourth, he pointed out that the character frequently uses the phrase “Satyameva Jayate,” a motto he himself had used during media interactions in the course of that investigation. He argued that using the national motto in such a context cannot be dismissed as creative expression or humour.
Wankhede also referred to an interview in which Aryan Khan allegedly admitted that the show was “inspired by some real events.” This, he said, contradicts Red Chillies Entertainment’s claim that The Ba**ds of Bollywood* is purely fictional.
He further alleged that the tone and intent of the series indicate personal and institutional vendetta, aimed at discrediting and defaming him rather than engaging in artistic storytelling.
Wankhede informed the court that the fallout from the show has affected his family, with his wife and sister receiving abusive and vulgar messages online.
Rejecting Red Chillies’ argument that he is a “thin-skinned” officer, Wankhede said that a public servant cannot be expected to tolerate false and damaging portrayals simply because of his position. He emphasized that his legal action seeks to protect the constitutional rights and dignity of both himself and his family.
