Patanjali questioned by Delhi over its chyawanprash ads calling competitors 'frauds'

The Delhi High Court has questioned Patanjali Ayurved over its recent chyawanprash advertisement that allegedly labels all competing brands as ‘dhokha’ (fraud). The court was hearing a plea by Dabur India, which sought an interim injunction against the ad, calling it misleading and disparaging.

Justice Tejas Karia observed that while Patanjali is free to claim superiority, it cannot term others as fraudulent. “You are saying everyone is ‘dhokha’ and I am genuine. How can you call all other chyawanprash ‘dhokha’? You can say inferior, but you can’t call them a fraud,” the judge remarked, calling the term ‘dhokha’ derogatory and misleading.

Dabur, which holds a dominant 61% share in the chyawanprash market, has accused Patanjali of false advertising and of making misleading ingredient claims, including assertions of using “51 Ayurvedic herbs and saffron,” despite a 2014 government advisory that deemed such claims inaccurate. The FMCG major also argued that Patanjali’s use of the word “special” for its chyawanprash violates Rule 157(1-B) of the Drugs Rules, which bars deceptive labelling of ayurvedic formulations.

Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, appearing for Dabur, said that by calling all other chyawanprash brands ‘dhokha’, Patanjali was disparaging the entire category. “To call somebody ‘dhokha’ is disparaging. They paint everybody with the same brush. Coming from a self-proclaimed yoga guru, it is far more serious because people associate a yoga guru with some sense of truthfulness,” he told the court.

On behalf of Patanjali, Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayar countered that the advertisement was a case of puffery, a permissible form of exaggeration in marketing. “Right or wrong, it is hyperbole. I am trying to convey that ‘forget about other chyawanprash, consume only mine.’ I am allowed to say I am the best,” he said, adding that Dabur was being hypersensitive.

After hearing both sides, the Delhi High Court reserved its verdict.