Court says ads may be misleading and hurt Dabur’s reputation
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has ordered Patanjali Ayurved, led by yoga guru Ramdev, to stop airing advertisements that appear to criticise or mislead consumers about Dabur’s Chyawanprash.
The court issued an interim order on July 3, siding with Dabur, which had filed a complaint in December 2024. Dabur claimed that Patanjali’s ads were hurting its brand image and confusing consumers.
Patanjali’s ads claimed their Chyawanprash used 51 herbs, while suggesting others used only 40. Dabur argued this was false and misleading.
The ads also hinted that other Chyawanprash products might be unsafe for children or even contain harmful substances like mercury. Although Patanjali never named Dabur, the court agreed that the implication was clear.
The judge said the ads may have crossed from normal marketing into disparagement and misinformation.
Patanjali, in its defense, said it never named any competitor directly. It claimed the ads were simply aimed at highlighting its own product and followed advertising guidelines.
This is not the first time Patanjali has been warned over its claims. In the past, the Supreme Court had pulled up Ramdev and his company for making misleading statements against modern medicine. They were forced to issue a public apology.
The current case is still ongoing, and the next hearing is scheduled for July 14, 2025.
Until then, Patanjali cannot show any ad that may seem to undermine Dabur’s Chyawanprash or make unverified health claims.
