Amid row over Tamannaah's appointment as KSDL brand ambassador, Karnataka minister MB Patil says ‘expert panel made decision'
Addressing a news conference, Patil said Monday that the actor was appointed purely on business grounds. 'An expert committee reviewed several factors before making the decision. Some other celebrities were also considered. But since they were under contract with competing brands, they could not be selected,' he said.
A day earlier, BJP leaders, including its state president B Y Vijayendra, had questioned the necessity of appointing the actor to promote KSDL products. 'What was the necessity to appoint Tamannaah Bhatia? Who are the experts who recommended her name? Is there no one from our state who qualifies?' he told reporters in Mysuru.
The actor was appointed ambassador for a two-year period from May 21, according to a government notification. She will receive a remuneration of Rs 6.2 crore to promote KSDL products during the period.
Patil added that proactive measures are being taken to streamline KSDL's operations. 'We have enhanced the production capacity, and the company is now turning a profit. BJP leaders, who were indifferent when KSDL was incurring losses, are now issuing grand statements about protecting the state's interests,' he said, noting that 23 new products have been added to KSDL's lineup, with plans underway to launch dishwashing products and perfumes.
Appreciate the intent to revive KSDL but the execution seems like an eyewash.
Even from a business point of view especially when the company is dwindling imho Mysore sandal soap is iconic and carries huge legacy it doesn't need a brand ambassador (Amul, Apple, Dove, Amazon)
By… pic.twitter.com/5f5Pz6vXWd
— Ramya/Divya Spandana (@divyaspandana) May 26, 2025
Former Congress MP Divya Spandana also expressed her reservations with regard to the decision to appoint Tamannaah, saying that though she appreciated the intent to revive KSDL, 'the execution seems like an eyewash.'
She argued that the Mysore Sandal Soap, manufactured by KSDL, is an iconic product and does not need a brand ambassador. 'By taking a non-Kannadiga as a brand ambassador to target the consumer market in the north they have alienated its own people, its core loyal consumer base- the Kannadiga. It fails us especially at a time when we're fighting to retain our Kannada pride,' she said in a post on X.
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