Doctor-turned-model-turned actress Aditi Govitrikar and designer Hemant Trevedi unveiled the PETA mascot at a press conference on Tuesday.

Declaring his support and love for animals across the world, Simpoo has renounced all things non-vegetarian and vowed to take his role as a champion for animals very seriously.

Outlining Simpoo’s plans, Amar K Deb, head of Channel [V], said, ‘Simpoo’s on a mission… to ensure that animals across the world are treated with love and respect.'

In the video version of the ad campaign, Simpoo charts his mouth-watering diet plan: He starts his day with aloo de parantha and mango aachar and dines on aloo gobhi and sarson da saag. All this while his wife and students express surprise at Simpoo’s saying ‘na’ to chicken tikka.

‘We are very proud to have Simpoo support animal rights by choosing to become a vegetarian,' says PETA India Chief Functionary Anuradha Sawhney.

Professor Sodhi or ‘Simpoo’, as he is lovingly called by students and fans alike, burst onto Channel [V] three years ago and instantly captured the imagination of youth across the country. Simpoo is a maths teacher from Jalandhar who believes that extracurricular activities such as dancing and sports are just as important as the subjects he loves to teach.

His students adore him but also love playing pranks on him, and their antics are captured on various Channel [V] promos. Simpoo is now on a mission to spread the message of vegetarianism and the ethical treatment of animals – not just to his students, fellow teachers, wife and loyal fans, but to the world at large.

Photograph: SEBASTIAN D'SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images

Also see: First Look: Renewing Friendship