The Delhi High Court has issued an interim order restraining Patanjali Ayurved, led by Baba Ramdev, from airing advertisements that allegedly mislead consumers and disparage Dabur’s popular Chyawanprash product.
The petition was filed by Dabur India Limited, which accused Patanjali of running an aggressive promotional campaign falsely claiming exclusive adherence to Ayurvedic scriptures in the making of its Chyawanprash. Dabur argued that such claims not only undermine its decades-long reputation but also amount to an unfair trade practice under Indian advertising norms.
Justice Mini Pushkarna, who presided over the matter, acknowledged the prima facie misleading nature of Patanjali’s assertions and temporarily barred the brand from running the contested ads. The court observed that the narrative projected Patanjali as the sole custodian of authentic Ayurvedic formulations, implicitly discrediting all other manufacturers.
The court’s decision reopens the broader conversation around advertising ethics, especially in India’s competitive FMCG landscape, where health claims are frequently used to appeal to tradition-conscious consumers.
This order is expected to have ripple effects across the Ayurvedic product industry and could set precedents in regulating brand messaging in the health and wellness segment. Further hearings will determine whether a permanent injunction is warranted.
