Mysore Sandal Soap maker posts all-time high profits, dividend up 27 crores from last year
Karnataka Soaps and Detergents or KSDL, the state-owned enterprise behind the iconic Mysore Sandal Soap, has paid a record dividend of Rs 135 crore to the Karnataka government from its 2024–25 profits. The cheque was handed over to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Vidhana Soudha by Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil and KSDL Chairman Appaji Nadagouda.
Patil highlighted that KSDL , renowned for its iconic Mysore Sandal soap, achieved a turnover of Rs 1,700 crore and net profits of Rs 451 crore in FY25. In accordance with corporate regulations, 30 per cent of the profit was distributed to the state as a dividend.
“This marks an all-time record for the company in terms of turnover, profit, and dividend,” Patil said in an official statement.
He noted that the state government had received dividends of Rs 54 crore in 2022–23 and Rs 108 crore in 2023–24. This year’s Rs 135 crore payout represents an increase of Rs 27 crore on last year, with further growth anticipated in the years ahead.
KSDL now manufactures 19 products, including bathing soaps, handwash, shower gel, detergents, fragrances, talcum powder, coconut oil, and drinking water, all made using 100 per cent Karnataka sandalwood oil.
KSDL has expanded its market presence through ecommerce and modern retail, with divisions across Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Kolkata, and Odisha. The company is planning a new manufacturing unit in Vijayapura with a Rs 250 crore investment on 50 acres allocated by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB).
Founded in 1916 by Maharaja Krishna Raja Wodiyar IV and his Diwan M. Visvesvaraya, KSDL was initially set up to utilise surplus sandalwood reserves. The first Mysore Sandal Soap was launched in 1918 by industrial chemist S.G. Shastry. The company was incorporated as KSDL in 1980 and received Geographical Indication (GI) status for Mysore Sandal Soap and Mysore Sandalwood Oil in 2006.
