Dabur Files Petition in Delhi HC Against Patanjali Over Chyawanprash Ad

Dabur has reportedly filed a lawsuit against Patanjali Ayurved in the Delhi High Court over an advertisement that allegedly undermines Dabur's Chyawanprash. As per Bar and Bench, the consumer giant argues that Patanjali's promotional content includes misleading comparisons that threaten the reputation of its brand.

According to the argument by Dabur, the commercial related to Patanjali with Baba Ramdev gives the brutally false image to the consumers that Patanjali's chyawanprash is the only "authentic" or "original". This advertisement belies any other similar brands, including Dabur's, which it interprets as inadequate or unauthentic.

Justice Mini Pushkarna of the Delhi High Court has directed the answering party Patanjali Ayurved to respond to Dabur's petition. The hearings will take place in the last week of January, during which the court is anticipated to consider interim orders in the matter.

An initial proposal to resolve the matter through mediation was dismissed after Dabur pressed for prompt action to address the ongoing advertisement campaign.

Though, according to Dabur, the advertisement of Patanjali has been shown on television for more than 900 times and recently appeared in newspapers, they mislead the public as well as damage the reputation of rival brands. Dabur claims that this misleading ad could harm its brand image heavily as it dominates the Chyawanprash market with an overwhelming 61.6 percent share.

It isn't the first time Dabur was engaged in a dispute with Patanjali regarding advertising practices. In 2017, Dabur was granted by a court to restrain Patanjali from broadcasting advertisements that were defined to defame the products.

Akhil Sibal, a senior advocate representing Dabur's legal team, cited a pattern of misleading advertisement by Patanjali while referring to a previous contempt petition in the Supreme Court. Sibal also submitted the Drugs and Cosmetics Act to argue that Chyawanprash is formulated based on specifications and cannot be undermined through advertisements. Patanjali's counsel, senior advocate Jayant Mehta, on the other hand, requested more time to reply to this lawsuit and asked about its validity.