Dabur vs Patanjali over Chyawanprash: Court issues warning to Baba Ramdev
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Delhi High Court has issued a stern warning to Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. and Patanjali Foods Ltd. founded by yoga guru Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna in the ongoing Chyawanprash advertising dispute with Dabur India. The court clearly stated that if the company does not withdraw its appeal it could face heavy consequences.
What is the matter?
The dispute began in December 2024, when Dabur India filed a lawsuit alleging that Patanjali's advertisements were misleading and defamatory. Dabur alleged that Patanjali was undermining consumer confidence by portraying rival products as unsafe in its advertisements. Specifically, it claimed that products from other brands including Dabur could be harmful to children and contained mercury.
Dabur also objected to Patanjali's claim that its Chyawanprash is made with 51 herbs while Dabur's version contains 40. The company argued that such advertising undermines consumer trust built over decades.
The Court's Stand
On July 3, 2025 a single bench of the Delhi High Court ordered Patanjali to remove objectionable lines from its print and TV advertisements. However, it did not order a complete halt to the advertisements. The court clarified that Patanjali could continue promoting its product, provided it did not include any content that tarnished the image of rival companies. However, Patanjali challenged this order in the Commercial Appellate Bench. The company argued that its advertisements were legitimate self-promotion and part of commercial expression.
The High Court's warning:
A bench of Justices C. Harishankar and O.P. Shukla stated during the hearing that filing an appeal was unnecessary when the original order was limited to removing only a few objectionable lines. The court clearly warned Patanjali that if it persisted in its appeal it could face serious consequences.