The Delhi High Court’s rule comes in response to a petition filed by Dabur India concerning TV ads related to Chyawanprash. On Thursday, the court barred Yoga guru Ramdev-led Patanjali Ayurved from publishing or broadcasting any ‘disparaging’ advertisements targeting Dabur Chyawanprash, as reported by news agency PTI. A bench led by Justice Mini Pushkarna issued this rule in favor of Dabur, restraining Patanjali from further negative ad campaigns against the product.
Dabur vs Patanjali feud
According to The Economic Times report, the dispute first reached the court on December 24, when it issued summons and notices to Patanjali Ayurved in response to Dabur’s plea for interim relief.
During earlier hearings, Dabur stated, “They refer to us as ordinary. They make a market leader ordinary.” Dabur currently holds a 61.6% share of the Chyawanprash market.
The company also objected to Patanjali’s claim that only individuals with Ayurvedic and Vedic knowledge could produce authentic Chyawanprash—an assertion Dabur argued undermined its credibility.
Additionally, Dabur alleged that Patanjali’s product contained mercury, making it unsafe for children.
According to a report by Live Law, Dabur had filed two interim injunction applications in the lawsuit. The court had issued summons in the case back in December last year. In the second application, Dabur alleged that despite the summons, Patanjali went on to air 6,182 advertisements targeting its product within a single week.
Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing Dabur, argued that Patanjali’s advertisements falsely claimed their Chyawanprash was made with over 51 herbs, while in reality, only 47 herbs were used. He also alleged that Patanjali’s product contained mercury, making it unfit for consumption by children.