Karnataka Milk Federation to sponsor Ireland, Scotland cricket teams

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Milk Federation, the state-owned dairy cooperative federation with brand name 'Nandini', will sponsor Scotland and Ireland cricket teams in the 2024 T20 World Cup -- a move which has come under criticism in some quarters.

"Yes, we are sponsoring them. They are going to display our brand during the matches," KMF Managing Director M K Jagadish told PTI on Sunday.

He said the decision was taken to make Nandini a global brand.

"We already have stores in the Middle East. Our presence is in Singapore as well. We are selling our sweets in America," Jagadish explained.

Information technology industry veteran and former Chief Financial Officer of Infosys T V Mohandas Pai criticised the move.

In a post on 'X', he said: "What a big shame!Why are they using the money belonging to the farmers of Karnataka, paid by consumers who are kannadigas, to sponsor foreign teams? What value will it deliver? Pay poor farmers better. @siddaramaiah @DKShivakumar this is a waste for a largely Karnataka based co/op!"

Responding to this, Jagadish said: "85 percent of our revenues goes to the farmers only. We are sponsoring it for the promotion of our product."

"We need to go global," he said.