The Telangana High Court has put a four-week deadline on a commercial court in Ranga Reddy district to decide an interim injunction plea tied to a copyright dispute over the Digi Yatra platform.
The direction came while the High Court was hearing a challenge by Data Evolve Solutions Private Limited, which claims ownership of software and related applications used across Digi Yatra deployments at airports nationwide. Data Evolve had moved the higher court after the trial court declined to grant immediate, ex-parte interim relief and instead chose to hear the other side.
While the High Court did not step in to overturn that refusal, it took note of the time-sensitive nature of intellectual property disputes. The Bench observed that the trial court had granted multiple adjournments for filing responses and stressed that urgency could not be ignored in a matter involving alleged misuse of copyrighted technology.
As a result, the trial court has now been instructed to conclude hearings on the interim injunction application within four weeks, without the High Court expressing any opinion on the merits of the claims themselves.
At the heart of the dispute is Data Evolve’s assertion that it owns the core software architecture powering Digi Yatra products. The company has sued the Digi Yatra Foundation and others, alleging unauthorised use of its copyrighted material. The trial court’s earlier refusal to grant urgent interim relief prompted Data Evolve to seek intervention from the High Court.
Running parallel to this case is a broader and closely watched battle before the Delhi High Court. There, the Digi Yatra Foundation has sued Data Evolve over ownership and control of the Digi Yatra Central Ecosystem under a 2021 Minimum Viable Product Agreement (MVA).
During proceedings in Delhi, Data Evolve has alleged that its software was cloned and rolled out far beyond the scope it says was permitted under the agreement. According to those submissions, the technology—originally cleared for use at a limited number of airports—was later deployed at several more. These claims, raised during arguments on framing issues, are yet to be tested on merits.
The Delhi High Court has already framed key questions in that suit, including who owns the Digi Yatra Central Ecosystem, where intellectual property rights lie, and whether either side misused or infringed the other’s technology. In an earlier order, the court also issued interim directions restricting the use or copying of Digi Yatra passenger data.
The Digi Yatra Foundation, set up as a not-for-profit body under the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Digi Yatra Policy, selected Data Evolve through a startup challenge in 2021. Their partnership was formalised through the MVA later that year. The Foundation maintains that the agreement vests ownership of the platform and all developed software with it, while Data Evolve retains rights only over its pre-existing tools.
Relations between the two soured in late 2023, culminating in a disengagement notice that asked Data Evolve to hand over control of the central ecosystem and related credentials. Data Evolve disputes this move, alleges unpaid dues, and continues to assert ownership over the underlying software.
With courts in both Telangana and Delhi now seized of overlapping questions, the next four weeks could prove critical in shaping how the Digi Yatra intellectual property battle unfolds.
