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Bangalore: It’s a clean sweep for Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited. The soap giant on Wednesday unveiled a high-quality Mysore Sandal Millennium sandalwood oil soap priced at Rs 720 apiece, the costliest in the country.

The soap, weighing 150 gram, also contains pure vegetable oils, almond oil, hydrolysed milk protein and skin conditioners.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launched the new KSDL product . It will be available for sale at malls and airports and all KSDL outlets in the country. The cheapest sandalwood oil soap being sold by the State-owned KSDL costs Rs 27.

CM who released these products lauded the efforts of the employees in turning the fortunes of the company. A cheque of Rs 5 crore, the dividend achieved by KSDL in 2013-14, was presented to him on the occasion. “When I was the finance minister in 1998-99, the KSDL was undergoing losses. Since then, the KSDL has made almost Rs 32 crore of profit. It only goes to show that the employees have been working diligently, which is a must for any organisation to achieve success,” the chief minister said.

KSDL chairperson Veronica Cornelio said in the past, there were problems in purchase of raw materials. “All this has changed now and it will help us better our profits. KSDL has risen like a phoenix,” she added.

State-owned Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), manufacturer of the iconic soap brand Mysore Sandal Soap, is looking to widen its export market even as it faces rising input costs and lower supplies of chief ingredient sandalwood oil.

“The KSDL exports account for Rs 10 crore. It is sold in Middle East, Emirates and a few other countries. We are exploring new markets abroad to increase our export market,” N B Harish Kumar, assistant General Manager,  told Business Standard.

 The lead of the KSDL is the internationally-known Mysore Sandal Soap. Sandalwood oil-based Mysore Sandal Soap is  a heritage brand that has a tradition of nearly a century.  A shortage, accompanied by the high rate of the aromatic wood, has hit artisans and the production of its oil at the Government Sandal Oil Factory, Mysuru too.

 Currently, it produces about 2,500 kg of oil to meet the needs of KSDL.The oil is a base for perfumes and many other products, including incense sticks.

 The KSDL has developed new varieties of sandalwood soap during the last couple of years. Besides Mysore Sandal Gold soap, it has introduced into the market the Mysore Sandal Millennium Luxury Soap, which was launched in 2015 priced at Rs 720 for a 150 gm cake.

 Meanwhile, the ‘Soap Santhe’ of the KSDL has been receiving good response with more customers visiting the Nanjaraja Bahadhur Choultry in Mysuru to make a choice selection from among the state government-run products.

 Its products are now being promoted by organising annual ‘Soap Santhe’ to expand its reach. In all, 38 different products, ranging from soaps, sandal oil, incense sticks, detergents and cosmetics are being showcased and marketed at the ongoing fair in Mysuru.

“After Gulbarga and Davanagere, this is the 3rd fair in Mysore. Next month, we intend to organise one in Tumkur,” Kumar said. On the opening day alone, Rs 2 lakh worth products were sold and the response from customers is growing, with sales touching about Rs 20 lakh so far. The target set is to market Rs 30 lakh worth products during the 11-day Santhe to conclude on January 26.

 The turnover last financial was Rs 353 crore with a net profit of Rs 32 crore. It has set a target of Rs 400 crore for 2014-15 and had reached Rs 260 crore by the end of November 2014, he added.

 On the shortage of sandalwood in Karnataka, he said the wood was being imported from Tamil Nadu and Kerala.