Mumbai, Aug 5 (IANS) After creating mass hype in tinsel town even before it was made official, Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif was Tuesday named brand ambassador for Gitanjali's Nakshatra Diamond jewellery, taking over the mantle from Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

Aishwarya has endorsed the brand since 2004.

'I am delighted to be associated with a brand like Nakshatra that has garnered immense popularity not only in India but worldwide. I hope this association is amiable and mutually profitable,' Katrina said in a statement here Tuesday.

Gitanjali Group chairman Mehul Choksi said: 'Katrina is the perfect representation of the young, trendy and fashionable woman that Nakshatra targets. She lends a refreshing look to the brand. We are excited about having her on board as the new face for Nakshatra.'

This is the second time this year that Katrina has overtaken Aishwarya in terms of popularity and endorsements. Earlier, Katrina replaced her as the Bollywood star with the maximum number of downloads and searches on the Internet.

The Britain-born actress, who was initially written off by critics for her strong stiff upper lip accent, has proved her mettle in Bollywood by delivering five back-to-back hits with 'Namastey London', 'Apne', 'Partner', 'Welcome' and 'Race'.

Her other releases slated for this year are romantic comedy 'Singh is Kingg' with Akshay Kumar and musical extravaganza 'Yuvraj' with real life beau Salman Khan.

She will also be seen in Rajkumar Santoshi's 'Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani' where she teams up with Ranbir Kapoor.