In Dabur vs Patanjali Fight Over Chyawanprash, A Court Warning For Ramdev

The Delhi High Court has cautioned Patanjali Ayurved Ltd and Patanjali Foods Ltd against persisting with their appeal in a dispute with Dabur India over advertisements for chyawanprash, warning that the company could face costs if it does not withdraw its challenge.

A division bench comprising Justice C Hari Shankar and Justice Om Prakash Shukla, hearing the appeal this week, took exception to Patanjali's decision to contest an earlier order that required the removal of disparaging references from its promotional campaign. The bench noted that the original order, passed in July, did not mandate a complete withdrawal of the advertisement but only directed Patanjali to delete specific objectionable lines.

The conflict traces back to December 2024, when Dabur, one of India's oldest and largest consumer goods companies, moved the Delhi High Court against Patanjali's chyawanprash advertising campaign. Dabur alleged that Patanjali's claims were misleading, defamatory and damaging to its reputation.

Dabur, which has marketed chyawanprash for decades, argued that Patanjali's advertisements suggested that rival products, including its own, contained mercury and were therefore unsafe for children. The company also challenged Patanjali's claim that its chyawanprash was prepared with 51 herbs, while implying that Dabur's version contained only 40.

Dabur maintained that the advertisements harmed consumer trust built over generations.

Patanjali, co-founded by yoga guru Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, defended its campaign as legitimate self-promotion. The company stated that its advertisements did not name Dabur or make direct comparisons.

The company argued that the statements in question were based on public information, including product labels, and therefore could not be deemed misleading.

On July 3, 2025, Justice Mini Pushkarna, sitting as a single judge of the Delhi High Court, passed an interim order on Dabur's plea. She directed Patanjali to delete the phrase "Why settle for ordinary Chyawanprash made with 40 herbs?" from print advertisements.

In addition, Patanjali was ordered to modify its television commercial by removing storyboard segments that implied only those with Ayurvedic knowledge could produce the "original Chyawanprash." The judge clarified that Patanjali was free to continue its campaign, provided these changes were implemented.

Patanjali subsequently challenged the order before the Commercial Appellate Division of the Delhi High Court, contending that the ruling was inconsistent with established principles of commercial speech and puffery. The company argued that its right to highlight the distinctiveness of its product should not be curtailed.

When the matter came up before Justices Hari Shankar and Shukla, the bench expressed disapproval of the appeal. Observing that the single judge had issued only limited directions requiring removal of specific disparaging content, the bench suggested that Patanjali's challenge was unnecessary.

The court told Patanjali that it should either withdraw the appeal or face the imposition of costs.