Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister MB Patil on Thursday firmly defended the state government's decision to appoint actress Tamannaah Bhatia as the brand ambassador for Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), the maker of the iconic Mysore Sandal Soap. Amid rising controversy over the choice, Patil clarified that the move was part of a broader commercial vision aimed at expanding the brand's national and global appeal.

“We have a prolonged strategy to take up the total sales to ₹5,000 crores,” said MB Patil, addressing media queries in Bengaluru. “We have created an international brand of tomorrow... so that we reach the Western world as well as the Gulf. So under the prolonged strategy, we have involved Tamannaah Bhatia for one of the things.”

He added that the decision was made by a selection committee after evaluating several leading Indian actresses. “Various actors were analysed. Rashmika Mandanna, Pooja Hegde, Kiara Advani, and even Deepika Padukone had endorsed some other products. She (Bhatia) has 2.8 crore followers. So, considering all of this and to have a pan-India appeal, we are selling Mysore Sandal Soap not just in Karnataka... 82% of its consumption is in all other southern states.”

Facing criticism over the appointment of a non-Kannada actress for a legacy Kannada brand, Patil emphasized, “This is a part of business, nothing related to Kannada. Tomorrow, a day may come when we go to international market and we have to have a Hollywood actress.”