ITC seeks sponsorship replacement

ITC Ltd, India's country's largest cigarette maker, invited proposals on Friday to take over its sponsorship of the nation's cricket team following a government move to discourage tobacco advertising.

"We are involved in the process of identifying alternate sponsors for the Indian cricket team to facilitate the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India)," ITC said in a large newspaper advertisement.

ITC had earlier this month announced that it would withdraw from sports sponsorship after the central government said it planned to introduce legislation to ban smoking in public places and end sponsorship of sporting events by tobacco firms.

The government has long banned advertising by liquor firms, prompting them to launch non-alcoholic products -- such as mineral water and soda -- under the same brand name as the liquor brands and then advertising the brand name.

ITC, which is 31.7 per cent owned by British American Tobacco, is one of the largest sponsors of sport in the country. Its brand Wills sponsors the Indian cricket team.

The ITC advertisement said that under its present agreement with the BCCI it was the sole sponsor of the Indian cricket team for Test matches and one-day internationals till August 2002.

It was also the official supplier of clothing for the Indian cricket team till June 2001, ITC said.

Sponsors, it said, would have the right to use the Indian cricket team in its advertisements and promotions and advertise on players' clothing and kits.

ITC said the proposals to replace it as sponsor could cover the current tour by Australia, which includes three Test matches and five one-day internationals.

The first Test starts next Tuesday in Bombay.

Mail Cricket Editor