The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2025
Malabar Gold ended its Alishba Khalid tie-up and sued over the boycott
After #BoycottMalabarGold, the Kerala jeweller dropped the Pakistani influencer it hired through a UK agency — then won a court order against the posts.
Malabar Gold & Diamonds · 2025-10-18
What happened
Kerala-based jewellery chain Malabar Gold & Diamonds hired London-based Pakistani influencer Alishba Khalid — through UK agency JAB Studios — to promote the opening of its Birmingham store in September 2025.
The collaboration drew a #BoycottMalabarGold campaign on Indian social media during heightened India–Pakistan tensions. The company said it chose Khalid without knowing her nationality, that the selection predated the Pahalgam terror attack, and that the boycott was orchestrated by competitors.
After the controversy, Malabar Gold ended its engagement with Khalid. It also petitioned the Bombay High Court, where a bench led by Justice Sandeep Marne granted an ad-interim injunction ordering the removal of posts calling the chain a 'sympathiser of Pakistan' and directing platforms to prevent further defamatory content.
In February 2026, India's National Human Rights Commission issued a notice over the collaboration and alleged foreign-exchange violations, directing the home ministry, the corporate affairs ministry and Kerala police to submit action-taken reports within two weeks.
Why it happened
- A third-party agency's hire became the company's crisis: vetting outsourced is risk outsourced.
- The defence — 'we did not know her nationality' — named the actual failure: the brand signed a person, not a checked file.
- Fighting the boycott in court while ending the deal: the company both surrendered to the pressure and sued the pressure.
- A single store opening in Birmingham turned a regional jeweller into a national controversy in India.
The lesson
Malabar Gold dropped the influencer a UK agency picked for its Birmingham launch after #BoycottMalabarGold. Vetting outsourced is risk outsourced: the brand signed a person it had not checked.
Aftermath
After the October 2025 #BoycottMalabarGold campaign, Malabar Gold ended its engagement with Pakistani influencer Alishba Khalid, hired via UK agency JAB Studios for its Birmingham opening. The company said it had not known her nationality, that she was chosen before the Pahalgam attack, and that rivals orchestrated the boycott. It won a Bombay High Court interim injunction ordering removal of 442 URLs calling it a 'sympathiser of Pakistan'. In February 2026 the NHRC issued a notice over alleged FEMA violations, ordering reports within two weeks.
Sources
- Moneycontrol — Malabar Gold faces boycott calls on Dhanteras: What's behind the Pakistani connection
- The Tribune — Malabar Gold gets NHRC notice over collaboration with Pak influencer
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