Saina's brand value nears a crore, to endorse Airtel

Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal is turning out to be hot property in the celebrity endorsement market after a string of successes this year, most notably the gold medal she won in the recently concluded Commonwealth Games.

Telecom giant Airtel is the latest in a series of corporates that have signed on the World No 3 as a brand ambassador and Saina's endorsement value is understood to have reached the Rs 1 crore-a-deal mark.

"She is really in demand. A lot of companies want to associate with her. She has already signed up with Airtel and at least four firms operating in the food and infrastructure sector will come on board very soon," Deccan Chargers Sporting Ventures Media Coordinator, H Manjula, said.

Deccan Chargers Sporting Ventures handles Saina's account. The badminton player already endorses the Deccan Chronicle newspaper, Adani Wilmar's Fortune edible oil and Herbalife's nutritional product range.

According to industry analysts, Saina, who was charging around Rs 50 lakh per endorsement, is now able to command Rs 1 crore per deal after her CWG win. The higher asking rate is also supported by Saina's hat-trick of wins at the Indian Open, Singapore Open and the Indonesia Open Super Series in June this year.

"Corporates are willing to pay that kind of money," Manjula added.

Saina herself agrees that her popularity has enhanced her brand equity. "Yes, after winning the titles, my fee has gone up and I am getting a lot of endorsements now. I am happy that there is demand being created for sportspersons other than cricketers," Saina said.

According to her, the Airtel commercials will be shot after she returns from the Asian Games to be held in China from November 12.

The deal with Airtel catapults Saina into the club of leading sports and Bollywood celebrities, including Shahrukh Khan, Sachin Tendulkar, Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan and A R Rahman, who have been associated with the brand.

Gujarat-based Adani Wilmar, which signed Saina on as brand ambassador for a one-year period for about Rs 50 lakh in August, said it is open to extending the association with her.

"Though it is premature to say whether we will look at carrying on with her as the brand ambassador in the second year, we are keeping the option open," COO Anshu Malik said.