Following Chinese handset maker VIVO's exit from the role of title sponsorship for the lucrative Indian T20 League just a month before the 2020 season gets underway in the UAE, Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved is considering filling their place, as per a company official.
For the Haridwar-based firm which has quickly risen to give multinational FMCG brands in India a run for their money with their Ayurveda-based offerings, it would open up a global marketing platform as the company looks to focus on exports.
"We are considering this," Patanjali spokesperson SK Tijarawala confirmed to PTI.
"This is for Vocal For Local and making one Indian brand as global, this is the right platform. We are considering that perspective."
That said, a final call is yet to be taken by the company on the matter. According to Tijarawala, they have until August 14 to submit their proposal to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
After protests across India to boycott Chinese products following the Sino-India border stand-off, the BCCI and VIVO agreed to suspend their partnership for the 2020 Indian T20 League season. While VIVO may return for the following season, it has left the BCCI scampering for new sponsorship for the upcoming season.
Jio, Amazon, Tata, Dream11 and online education start-up Byju's have reportedly been among the other potential candidates under consideration to replace VIVO. In light of the paucity of time at hand, the BCCI is likely to forego the process of floating a tender and issue an expression of intent for the title rights instead.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Sajjad Hussain
