The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed Patanjali Ayurved to take down advertisements that allegedly disparage Dabur’s Chyawanprash.
The interim order was passed by Justice Mini Pushkarna on a suit filed by Dabur, claiming that Patanjali’s ads were misleading and aimed at discrediting its product.
The dispute began after Patanjali aired an ad featuring its founder Swami Ramdev, in which he questions how brands that lack Ayurvedic knowledge can make “authentic” Chyawanprash. The ad includes the line:
"Jinko Ayurved aur Vedo ka gyaan nahi, Charak, Sushrut, Dhanwantari aur Chyawanrishi ke parampara mei ‘original’ Chyawanprash kaise bana payenge?"
Dabur objected to this and other parts of the ad, especially the reference to a 40-herb Chyawanprash being "ordinary"—a statement they said was aimed at them. Dabur’s Chyawanprash advertises the use of “40+ herbs” and holds over 60% of the market.
According to Dabur, Patanjali’s ad amounts to three kinds of disparagement:
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Misrepresenting Patanjali’s own formula as superior,
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Casting doubt on Dabur’s Ayurvedic credibility,
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Labeling Dabur’s product as inferior.
Dabur argued that the ad misleads consumers, questions regulatory standards, and wrongly suggests health risks from non-Patanjali products. It highlighted that Chyawanprash is a classical Ayurvedic formulation governed by the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and must follow prescribed ancient texts.
Dabur also raised concerns about public safety and pointed out that the Supreme Court has previously pulled up Patanjali in contempt proceedings for similar ads—alleging that the company is a repeat offender.
Dabur was represented by Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi with lawyers R Jawahar Lal, Anirudh Bakhru, and Meghna Kumar.
Patanjali was represented by Senior Advocates Rajiv Nayar and Jayant Mehta, along with a team of advocates.
A detailed copy of the court’s order is awaited.