Haryana’s approach favors relatable, trusted figures over pure star power — the state specifically leans on names recognized and respected in rural Haryana, reasoning that a familiar face lands better than a slick ad campaign for topics like girl-child education, yoga, or drug prevention. This is also why, in a notable departure from celebrity-led branding, CM Nayab Singh Saini in January 2025 decided to make female village heads themselves the ambassadors for a related women-empowerment campaign, rather than bringing in a celebrity.
Key Points
- Haryana Tourism’s long-running ambassadors are Dharmendra and Hema Malini, who have held the role for around eight years — best known for boosting the Surajkund Crafts Mela and promoting Haryana’s heritage sites; their photos still appear on official Haryana Tourism publicity material.
- Baba Ramdev has been Haryana’s yoga and Ayurveda ambassador since 2015, working on spreading yoga in schools/villages and supporting herbal-garden schemes across the state.
- Shafali Verma, the young cricketer who played a key role in India’s first Women’s World Cup title win (87 runs plus 2 wickets in the final), was named Brand Ambassador of the Haryana State Commission for Women for 2026, chosen to promote sports, a drug-free lifestyle, gender equality, and women’s empowerment.
Ambassador Portfolio
| Domain | Ambassador(s) | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Tourism | Dharmendra & Hema Malini | Surajkund Crafts Mela, heritage sites |
| Yoga & Ayurveda | Baba Ramdev | Yoga promotion, herbal gardens |
| Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao | Sakshi Malik & Parineeti Chopra | Girl-child education |
| Sports | Yogeshwar Dutt | Sports promotion in the state |
| TB-Free Mission | Amitabh Bachchan, Yogeshwar Dutt, CM Manohar Lal | TB eradication awareness |
| State Women’s Commission (2026) | Shafali Verma | Women’s empowerment, gender equality, drug-free lifestyle |
| Girl-child village leadership (Jan 2025) | Female village heads (sarpanches) across Haryana | A CM Nayab Singh Saini initiative naming women panchayat leaders themselves as campaign faces, rather than celebrities |
FAQ
Who are Haryana Tourism’s brand ambassadors?
Dharmendra and Hema Malini, for close to eight years now.
Who is Haryana’s yoga ambassador?
Baba Ramdev, since 2015.
Who is the newest (2026) Haryana ambassador?
Shafali Verma, for the Haryana State Commission for Women.
Is there one single “Brand Ambassador of Haryana”?
No — like most Indian states, Haryana appoints different ambassadors per scheme/department (tourism, yoga, sports, TB eradication, women’s welfare), not one overarching figure.
Who represents Haryana’s TB-Free Mission?
A trio: Amitabh Bachchan, Yogeshwar Dutt, and Chief Minister Manohar Lal (in his earlier tenure).
Why did Haryana appoint village heads instead of celebrities in 2025?
CM Saini’s stated intent was to make the campaign more grassroots-driven and directly led by women already in local leadership roles, rather than relying on outside celebrity endorsement.
