The quiet hum of court proceedings is about to get electric.
Elon Musk’s Tesla Inc. is back in the legal ring with Indian company Tesla Power India, as the Delhi High Court prepares to resume hearing a trademark tussle that mediation failed to short-circuit. With settlement talks dead on arrival, the Court has now fixed April 15 as the next date for showdown.
This legal face-off began in May 2024 when Tesla Inc. dragged Tesla Power India to court, raising objections over the Indian company’s use of the TESLA mark—particularly after the latter advertised plans to step into the electric vehicle arena. The American EV giant wasn’t just frowning at branding; it flagged newspaper ads and prior warnings sent all the way back in 2022, claiming its Indian counterpart never truly hit the brakes on branding overlap.
During the initial hearing, Tesla Power India’s proprietor stood before the bench and pledged not to build or sell electric vehicles under the ‘Tesla’ name—or even partner with others using names deceptively similar to it. That undertaking, however, didn’t hold up for long. Musk’s camp returned to court claiming the Indian firm had gone ahead and started producing e-scooters, still cloaked in the Tesla name.
The court, not one to let such claims slide, directed the Indian entity to file a detailed affidavit: listing every EV sold, the network of dealers, launch dates, units moved, and existing inventory. Then, as often happens in heavyweight brand battles, both parties were nudged toward mediation.
That detour went nowhere.
The case came back on the docket today, spurred by an early hearing request from Tesla Inc.—which was later withdrawn—but the bench took stock anyway. The judge noted that mediation had collapsed and made it official: arguments resume mid-April.
And so, the trademark battle continues. Two Teslas, one courtroom, and a name that only one side wants to own on the electric highway.
