As KSDL is transforming this 108-year-old heritage brand into a global enterprise, actress Tamannaah Bhatia launches India's new advertising campaign. On February 10, the "Pan-India" star also kicked off a new identity for the celebrated Mysore Sandal Soap, accompanied by a 57-new range of items, from premium perfumes to home care, at a major gathering.
The campaign is the start of Bhatia’s two-year promotion as brand ambassador and said to have been worth ₹6.2 crore. The Vision: On the Heritage Path to ₹5,000 Crore. A defence of the selection, by Industries Minister M.B. Patil, stated that the partnership is "a strategic business decision" and to "penetrate North Indian and international markets."
KSDL targets to achieve an ambitious turnover target of ₹5,000 crore by 2030. “Mysore Sandal is no longer a state icon now, it is a national treasure. We needed a face with universal appeal and a huge digital audience to go toe to toe with global behemoths and grow our regional and overseas footprint," Patil said.
#TamannaahBhatia's Mysore Sandal Soap advertisement 😍 pic.twitter.com/CNdwUcvvHM
— 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐲𝐚 (@KillerKariya) March 2, 2026
The "Anti-Kannada" Row
The appointment, despite the commercial logic, has reignited a fiery cultural debate. That has led critics and pro-Kannada activists to question why a homegrown actress from the Sandalwood (Kannada) film industry Rashmika Mandanna, Rukmini Vasanth, or Sapthami Gowda, to name a few was not selected to represent a brand so tied to Karnataka’s past.
The Opposition’s Stance
BJP leaders and local activists called the move an “insult to Kannada talent,” saying the brand, which was founded in 1916 by Maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, should give a nod to its regional roots. Government Response: Several Kannada stars were talked through, officials explained, but because of "non-compete" contracts with other soap brands, they were not available.
A 100-Year-Old Icon Modernized
The new ads provide a modern, slick look that doesn't detract from the sandalwood fragrance that has been synonymous, for decades, with the brand. Apart from the flagship soap, KSDL's "Tamannaah Era" features the following:
- Luxury Jasmine Soaps: aimed at the European market
- Self Care: Face washes, shampoos, hand washes; new lines of them.
- Home Care: A foray into floor cleaners and detergents under the "Cleanol" sub-brand.
As the national dailies received their first print ad, the conversation has not narrowed. Even as marketing analysts herald the move as a move “to de-age” the brand for Gen Z and Gen Alpha, regional sentiment is still protective of its culture’s roots. Whether the star power of Tamannaah Bhatia can translate local pride into international ambition is still up in the air.
