Harbhajan Singh does a first with personality licensing

New Delhi: It's a brand new doosra from Harbhajan Singh. Only, it's off the cricket field, for a change.

The ace spinner is about to create a record in the world of branding --- becoming the first in India to sign a personality licensing agreement, going beyond the product endorsements one is used to seeing celebrities make.

Whether it's an energy drink, an apparel range, a restaurant or a cricket bat -- his name would sell all.

The cricketer is getting into an exclusive pact with Licence India, the country's first licensing solution company, for 'personality licensing', just as the IPL season rolls. 

Licence India had recently signed up with eminent educator and business consultant Shiv Khera, whose messages like 'You Can Win' were licensed for diaries and notebooks.

Khera's could well have been a test case. With Bhajji in the game, the concept could really fly.

Globally, besides fictional characters, the names of celebrities from sports and films are used for merchandising in a big way.

Legendary basket ball player Michael Jordan is the biggest name in the personality licensing space in the world, say experts.

Then there are the likes of Martha Stewart, who found success through a variety of business ventures, including publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising.

The global licensing industry is learnt to be pegged at around $191 billion.

"Licensing of this kind has been a writing on the wall for quite some time in India," says Santosh Desai, CEO, Future Brands. According to him, different versions of personality branding have been around in the country, and that this is only "a natural extension."

Monetising the value of people as brands is a huge opportunity globally, adds Desai.

For all that, however, not everyone's keen to bet on the concept just yet.

"I don't think India is ready for the concept yet," says Anirban Das Blah, CEO, Globosport. While he is glad somebody is experimenting with personality branding, Das feels piracy would play spoilsport. How else does one explain why bigger celebrities such as Sachin Tendulkar, Shah Rukh Khan and Sania Mirza have not entered into any such deal?