A TOI report published on November 2, 2024, on the Karnataka Government’s directive mandating Kannada labelling on products manufactured in the State.
In Nov 2024, during the valedictory ceremony of the 69th Kannada Rajyotsava, the then chief minister Siddaramaiah had announced that all consumer, industrial and other products manufactured in Karnataka, whether by govt or private-sector entities, must carry their product names and labels in Kannada alongside other languages, if any. “I’ve personally toured 24 districts and followed up with food inspectors in those districts. Because of this, the govt order has failed to take proper shape in reality,” Bilimale said, pointing out that the absence of effective enforcement mechanisms and coordination among departments has undermined the initiative.
KDA chairperson Purushothama Bilimale said the authority had made efforts to follow up on the implementation of the govt order, including conducting field visits and coordinating with officials from other departments. The directive was intended to ensure that Kannada received due recognition on products manufactured in the state and that consumers could identify and read product information in their mother tongue. However, the ground reality suggests that the initiative has remained largely ineffective, with little visible change in the labelling practices of manufacturers and companies. But the problem is that most of these products are manufactured here, packaged elsewhere and marketed by companies from other states.