Karnataka govt appoints Tamannaah Bhatia as KSDL brand ambassador
Bengaluru, May 22 (PTI): The Karnataka government has appointed Bollywood actress Tamannaah Bhatia as the brand ambassador of Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), which manufactures Mysore Sandal Soap.
The state government’s order issued on Wednesday said Bhatia has been appointed as the brand ambassador for two years and two days at a cost of Rs 6.2 crore.
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 ambassador why appoint and promote Hindi ones?” a woman questioned the decision on ‘X’.
We're thrilled to welcome the iconic Ms Tamannaah Bhatia (@tamannaahspeaks) as the brand ambassador for Mysore Sandal Soap! A symbol of grace and versatility, Tamannaah perfectly mirrors the legacy, purity, and timeless appeal of our heritage brand
— House Of Mysore Sandal (@MysoreSandalIn) May 22, 2025
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.#Ksdl #BrandAmbassador pic.twitter.com/TQe2tjeY4O
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”.
The KSDL has the deepest respect and regards to 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.
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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
