Chennai :  India’s relationship with salt colors its rich history and in particular, its relationship with Tata Salt is illustrated by the “Desh Ka Namak” campaign that was launched in 2002. The local idiom that refers to the values of loyalty and integrity, which people associate with salt, has been embraced by Tata Salt.

“Maine Desh ka Namak Khaya Hai” the latest campaign featuring boxer, MC Mary Kom, is a continued expression of the brand’s faith in the people of India who manifest these values. She founded a boxing academy to train youngsters who have gone to become state and national champions.

Today, the Campaign celebrates five similarly committed individuals who have risen against all odds and gone beyond their own success to contribute to nation building in their own areas of work. Mr. R. Gopalakrishnan, Director, Tata Sons & Vice Chairman, Tata Chemicals, along with actress Priyanka Chopra who plays reel-life Mary Kom in her recent movie, felicitated these heroes.

All five individuals felicitated shared a common thread with Tata Salt’s mission and that is the strong desire of making a difference to the society. Among them were Subhashini Mistry from Hanspukur, West Bengal; Chetna Sinha from Mhaswad, Satara district in Maharashtra, Shravani Pawar from Hubli, Karnataka; Meera Badve from Pune, Maharashtra, and Akshay Saxena and Krishna Ramkumar from Mumbai & Delhi.

“Integrity and loyalty are core values of Tata Salt or Desh Ka Namak that derives its strength from the Tata Group ethos of building the community we live in. The stories of people like Mary Kom and Tata Salt’s celebrated icons inspire us to come forward and do our bit for the society. It is very important to acknowledge and highlight the efforts of these people I am touched by these stories,” said Mr. R. Gopalakrishnan, Vice – Chairman, Tata Chemicals, expressing his pleasure on meeting the inspiring heroes.

Delighted to introduce the nation’s little known heroes identified through Tata Salt’s ‘Maine Desh Ka Namak Khaya Hai’ campaign, Ms. Richa Arora, COO – Consumer Product Business, Tata Chemicals said, “Tata Salt is “Desh ka namak” because 600mn Indians have demonstrated their faith in Tata salt and through the ‘Maine Desh Ka Namak Khaya Hai’ campaign, we are proud to honor some of the real Indians who have become inspiring icons for their remarkable work for the nation.”

On her association with this effort by Tata Salt, campaign ambassador Mary Kom, five-time world boxing champion, Olympic winner and an inspiration herself, expressed her delight  “The Tata Salt campaign honors everyday heroes in our society and I can relate to their stories of achieving their dreams through sheer hard work and determination, and striving to contribute to the nation.”

‘Maine Desh Ka Namak Khaya Hai’ Campaign is a call-of-action to all Indians to bring about a change or make a difference to the society through living the values of honesty and integrity, and to lead by examples like Tata Salt’s now celebrated heroes.

Source : Sachin Murdeshwar