Setback for Patanjali as HC orders to pull 'disparaging' ads against Dabur

The Delhi High Court on Thursday passed an interim order directing Patanjali Ayurved to take down advertisements that allegedly disparage Dabur's chyawanprash products, Bar and Bench reported. This came in response to a suit filed by Dabur India Ltd in December 2024, accusing Patanjali Ayurved of making misleading claims about its flagship Ayurvedic product.

Justice Mini Pushkarna issued the order after finding that the contested advertisements were problematic under the law governing commercial speech and product representation.

Baba Ramdev-led ad campaign at the centre of controversy

The case stems from an advertisement featuring Patanjali Ayurved’s co-founder Ramdev, who is shown casting doubt on the authenticity of competing Chyawanprash brands. According to the lawsuit, the ad shows that only Patanjali’s Chyawanprash is "original", while others are shown as lacking the requisite Ayurvedic and Vedic knowledge to manufacture authentic formulations.

The ad states: "Jinko Ayurved aur Vedo ka gyaan nahi, Charak, Sushrut, Dhanwantari aur Chyawanrishi ke parampara mei ‘original’ chyawanprash kaise bana payenge?” (Those who don't have knowledge of Ayurved and Ved, how will they make 'original' Chyawanprash in the tradition of Charak, Sushrut, Dhanwantari and Chyawanrishi).

Representing Dabur, senior advocate Akhil Sibal had argued that Patanjali’s claims mislead consumers and harm Dabur’s market reputation. He cited the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, under which Ayurvedic formulations such as chyawanprash must conform to legally mandated compositions based on classical texts, Bar and Bench reported.

Sibal pointed out that Dabur holds a commanding 61.6 per cent share of the chyawanprash market, and unsubstantiated claims about the product’s authenticity directly impact its consumer trust and brand credibility.

Targeting Dabur's '40+ herbs' tagline

A particular point of contention was Patanjali’s reference to a “40-herb Chyawanprash” as “ordinary”. Dabur contended that this was a veiled reference to its own product, which is marketed with the “40+ herbs” tag. The company argued that the remark amounted to triple disparagement — misleadingly presenting Patanjali’s formulation as superior, casting doubt on Dabur’s Ayurvedic adherence, and positioning its product as inferior.

Dabur added that all chyawanprash products are governed by strict regulatory standards, and such advertising tactics erode public trust in the entire category.

Not the first time

This is not the first legal battle between the two rivals. In September 2017, Dabur had approached the court against Patanjali for allegedly running disparaging ads and using a product design similar to Dabur’s chyawanprash packaging, which it claimed could mislead consumers.