The Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), which markets its dairy products under the Nandini brand, will sponsor Scotland and Ireland teams for the T20 cricket World Cup.
Moneycontrol first reported the possibility of the development in its story 'Nandini takes to battle with Amul to the cricket field, pitches for T20 WC team sponsorship'.
Confirming this to Moneycontrol, KMF managing director MK Jagadish said: "We've issued the work order on April 20 to ITW Consulting Private Limited to sponsor two teams - Scotland and Ireland. The Nandini logo will come on the lead arm jersey (i.e., right arm for left-handed batsmen and left arm for right-handed batters). The two teams will be involved in our advertisements, social media campaigns, photo shoots, and endorsing our products, which we will air during the tournament. This will be a proud moment for everyone in Karnataka," he said.
Also Read: Nandini takes battle with Amul to cricket field, pitches for T20 WC team sponsorship
Jagadish said KMF has a presence in international markets, including the Middle East, Singapore, Bhutan, and Myanmar, with some frozen sweets also making their way to the US.
T20 Cricket World Cup 2024 is scheduled to be co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States from June 1-29. There are a record 20 teams in this year's edition of the Twenty20 cricket championship.
Nandini to launch Splash, a whey-based energy drink
The KMF MD said they are planning to launch Nandini Splash, a whey-based energy drink in the US during the tournament.
"We want to launch Nandini Splash, a whey-based energy drink for the first time with different flavours such as mango, orange, lychee, and lemon. We want to sell it in a big way in the US. We are focusing more on that product because it suits the event." said Jagadish.
He said they are planning to launch a series of new products. "We will also ensure that our products are available in the US at the time of the World Cup so that people will get to know that the Nandini brand is going global. Many products under the Nandini brand can also be tasted. It will be a great event to showcase our brand at the global level." said Jagadish.
He said they are also expanding Nandini products in the Middle East. "We are opening up two more Nandini parlors in UAE - Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, which are all set to be inaugurated shortly after Lok Sabha elections are over. At present, we have one parlour in Dubai" said Jagadish.
Nandini take a leaf out of Amul's book
Nandini is taking a leaf out of rival Amul's playbook. In 2011, the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, which markets its dairy products under the Amul brand, made a splash with its decision to sponsor the Netherlands team at the World Cup that year. Since then, it has been associated with the cricket teams of New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan. In 2019, Amul became the principal sponsor of the Afghanistan team after the latter attained International Cricket Council (ICC) full-member status and renewed its association ahead of the 2023 World Cup.
On Nandini's venture into the T20 World Cup, Jagadish explained, "This is primarily aimed at enhancing brand visibility. Players will participate in photo shoots with us, facilitating marketing opportunities for advertisements. It will provide mileage for the brand, akin to brand upliftment."
He said that they are seeking partnerships with smaller teams since they come at lower costs and yet offer visibility on the international stage. "This presents a great opportunity to showcase our brand to the international market."
Nandini is already an associate sponsor of the Bengaluru Bulls team in the Pro Kabaddi league. The dairy cooperative held aspirations to sponsor Bengaluru’s IPL side, RCB, as well. "Unfortunately, we couldn't secure a slot since it was too expensive," said Jagadish.
Ahead of the 2023 Karnataka polls, political parties in the state were at loggerheads over dairy products. This was sparked by Gujarat-based Amul's decision to enter the Bengaluru market, which the Congress alleged would affect Karnataka's dairy cooperative and hundreds of thousands of dairy farmers in the state.
KMF comprises 14 unions, 24 lakh milk producer members, 14,000 milk producers' cooperative societies spread across 22,000 villages, and procures 8.4 million liters of milk daily. It offers over 65 milk and related products and disburses Rs 17 crore daily to farmers. Additionally, it supplies products to the armed forces and exports milk. In 2021-22, KMF reported a turnover of nearly Rs 19,800 crore. Amul, on the other hand, reported a provisional turnover of Rs 55,055 crore in 2022-23.
Also, read: MC Explains | The white war between Nandini and Amul ahead of Karnataka polls
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