Incredible India campaign: No plan as of now to appoint brand ambassador

Amid speculation over megastar Amitabh Bachchan's appointment as mascot of 'Incredible India', the government today categorically said there is "no proposal as of now" for selecting the brand ambassador for the campaign.

In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma also said no committee has been constituted by his ministry for the purpose.

"No committee has been constituted by the Ministry of Tourism since at present there is no proposal for selecting a brand ambassador for Atulya Bharat Campaign," he said.

Last month, there were reports that the government had put on hold Bachchan's appointment as the brand ambassador for the campaign after his name figured in the Panama papers.

It was also widely speculated that actress Priyanka Chopra may bag a role in the publicity campaign aimed at promoting India as a favourite tourist destination abroad.

In January this year, actor Aamir Khan was ousted as the brand ambassador of the campaign, whose primary objective was to create a distinctive identity for the country and project it as a high-end tourist destination, following his remarks on alleged intolerance in the country.

Though it was believed that Khan was dropped after being associated with it for several years for his remarks on intolerance, the Tourism Ministry had clarified that he was not hired by the government for the campaign and that the contract with the advertising agency which engaged him had expired.