Patanjali challenges Delhi HC order restricting Chyawanprash advertisements

Patanjali Ayurved Limited has reportedly moved to the Delhi High Court against a July order that restrained it from airing advertisements allegedly disparaging Dabur Chyawanprash. The appeal is scheduled to be heard on Friday by a division bench of Justices C Hari Shankar and Om Prakash Shukla.

The earlier order, passed by a single judge, had granted Dabur an interim injunction. It directed Patanjali to modify claims in its print and television ads, including phrases such as 'Why settle for ordinary chyawanprash made with 40 herbs?' and assertions that only Patanjali possessed the Ayurvedic knowledge to prepare authentic chyawanprash. The court had clarified that Patanjali could resume its advertising after making the specified changes.

In its petition, Patanjali maintained that its ads did not mention Dabur directly, the reports noted. However, the court observed that Baba Ramdev’s presence and narration in the ads lent weight to the claims, potentially misleading consumers to believe that Patanjali was uniquely capable of producing traditional chyawanprash. It further noted that manufacturers are not required to have expertise in Ayurveda or Vedic texts to make the product.

Dabur, in its plea, argued that the campaign disparaged both its product and the chyawanprash category by portraying rival brands as 'ordinary' and inferior. The case is being closely watched for its implications on advertising practices and competition in India’s growing Ayurvedic products market.