Delhi HC orders Patanjali to respond to Dabur’s defamation lawsuit over chyawanprash ads
Dabur accuses Patanjali of misleading claims in TV and print advertisements, seeking a ban on promotional content that disparages its market-leading product.
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The Delhi High Court has called on Patanjali Ayurved to respond to a lawsuit filed by Dabur, which accuses the company of airing advertisements that disparage its flagship product, Dabur Chyawanprash.
On December 24, Justice Mini Pushkarna issued summons to the defendants — Patanjali Ayurved and Patanjali Foods Ltd.— ordering them to file a response within 30 days, as per a PTI report. The court’s order included a directive to register the complaint as a formal suit, and scheduled a hearing for January 30 to address an application for interim relief, the report stated.
Dabur’s complaint centers on advertisements promoting Patanjali’s Special Chyawanprash, claiming that the ads make false and damaging statements about its own product, which holds over 60 percent of the market share. According to Dabur, Patanjali’s marketing suggests that its Chyawanprash is the “original” and “best” version, based on an exclusive Ayurvedic tradition that supposedly outmatches all other products. Dabur argues that these claims misrepresent the Chyawanprash formulae, dismissing other Ayurvedic texts as inferior, and undermine the integrity of competing brands.
The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction against Patanjali, demanding that the company cease airing the controversial ads and refrain from further actions that could harm Dabur’s reputation or brand.
