The Delhi High Court has stopped Patanjali Ayurved from airing or circulating its new commercial for “Patanjali Special Chyawanprash,” which branded other chyawanprash makers as “dhoka” — or deception.
Justice Tejas Karia, while hearing Dabur India’s complaint against Patanjali, held that the advertisement unfairly disparaged an entire product category rather than engaging in legitimate comparison. The Court directed broadcasters, OTT platforms, social media companies, and other digital outlets to remove or block the advertisement within three days.
Dabur, which dominates the chyawanprash market with over 60% share, argued that the ad’s portrayal — featuring Baba Ramdev cautioning people that “most are being duped in the name of chyawanprash” — was a direct attack on every brand except Patanjali’s own. The company claimed this kind of messaging undermines consumer trust in Ayurveda-based health supplements as a whole.
The Court agreed, observing that Baba Ramdev’s influence as a public figure could easily lead an average viewer to believe that only Patanjali’s chyawanprash was genuine, effectively casting every other brand as fraudulent.
While the Court acknowledged that comparative advertising is allowed, it drew a clear line: competition cannot turn into defamation.
“It is one thing to claim superiority of one’s product,” the Court noted, “but quite another to brand every competing product as deceptive.”
Justice Karia underscored that freedom of commercial speech under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution does not cover false, misleading, or disparaging claims. “Public interest is paramount. When comparative advertising becomes misleading or untruthful, it loses constitutional protection,” the order stated.
Finding a strong prima facie case in Dabur’s favour, the Court restrained Patanjali from continuing with the campaign, noting that the company is free to promote its own product — but not by tarnishing its competitors.
