Get ready to see the Nandini logo on the jerseys of Scotland and Ireland cricketers during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup which will be held in June. The Karnataka Milk Federation, the dairy cooperative from the State which sells various dairy products under the brand name Nandini, will be sponsoring the two teams in the competition.
“Our brand name and logo will appear on the lead arm of the jerseys of the players. We will also be running various social media and advertisement campaigns in association with the teams. We also want to launch whey-based drinks during the World Cup, and they will be involved in promotions as well,” M. K. Jagadish, managing director, KMF, told The Hindu.
The KMF also sees this as a way to market its products to a bigger customer base. “We will ensure that products are available even in overseas venues where the matches will take place. We want to use this as an opportunity to push Nandini products on a global level,” Mr. Jagadish said.
According to sources, the sponsorship amount will come up to approximately ₹2.5 crore per team. The source also said that while the KMF had considered sponsoring Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the Indian Premier League (IPL) team, the presence of pre-committed sponsors and higher costs kept the deal from happening.
The KMF had previously sponsored Bengaluru Bulls who play in the Pro Kabaddi League. The Nandini logo was imprinted on the shoulders of the jerseys.
While many applauded the KMF for marketing Nandini on a global scale, some also took to social media and questioned why a Karnataka-based brand should sponsor foreign teams.
On X, former Infosys director T.V. Mohandas Pai said: “Why not sponsor the Karnataka Ranji team, Karnataka sports persons, Karnataka artists? Farmers’ children, scholarship for poor? KMF is funded by Kannadiga tax payers’ money, subsidy and investments from budget but chooses to spend on foreign teams whom nobody knows!”.
