Bollywood Megastar Amitabh Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra have been brought on board as the new brand ambassadors of Incredible India. As per reports a formal announcement on the same will be made after Republic Day.
The selection of the two actors follows the Centre's decision to discontinue the contract of actor Aamir Khan, who had angered the BJP-led government with his remarks on perceived intolerance in the country.
Khan had promoted Indian tourism for a decade as the brand ambassador.
A number of multi-disciplinary icons, including famous sports personalities, were shortlisted by the tourism ministry to be the face of the 'Incredible India' campaign.
Other suggestions being considered include choosing a female personality as the mascot for the 'Atithi Devo Bhava' series which is part of the 'Incredible India' campaign to attract foreign tourists.
The campaign has been embroiled in controversy since reports surfaced that Aamir Khan had been fired as the face of the initiative. On Tuesday, the secretary of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Amitabh Kant, had said that Khan's remarks on intolerance had damaged the brand identity of the country. However, the government had earlier refuted rumours that he was dropped from the campaign because of his statements, and clarified that his contract as the brand ambassador of Incredible India had expired.
