Delhi High Court To Hear Dabur Vs Patanjali ‘Dant Kanti Red’ Trademark Dispute After Failed Mediation

Delhi High Court to Hear Dabur vs Patanjali ‘Dant Kanti Red’ Trademark Dispute After Failed Mediation

Mediation Fails in Dabur-Patanjali Toothpaste Trademark Dispute

The Delhi High Court has been informed that mediation efforts between Dabur India Limited and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd have failed to resolve their ongoing trademark dispute over the trade dress of Patanjali’s ‘Dant Kanti Red (Pan Flavour)’ toothpaste.

The development was recorded before Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora on August 1, 2025. Following this, the Court has scheduled the matter for further hearing in December 2025.

Dabur’s Allegations Against Patanjali’s Packaging

Dabur alleges that Patanjali’s current packaging for ‘Dant Kanti Red (Pan Flavour)’ toothpaste unfairly copies the distinctive look and feel — or trade dress — of Dabur’s well-known ‘Red’ toothpaste. The company claims that the similarity is likely to mislead consumers into believing the products are associated, thereby diluting Dabur’s brand value.

Interestingly, Dabur has clarified that it has no objection to Patanjali using the term ‘Red’, the ‘pan leaf’ motif, or the earlier version of its packaging. The objection, according to Dabur, is limited to the revised packaging design introduced by Patanjali in December 2024.

Previous Attempts at Mediation and Court’s Directions

The dispute was earlier referred for mediation after a court hearing on January 15, 2025, when the Court also urged Patanjali to consider modifying the contested packaging. Despite these directions, both parties reported on August 1 that the mediation did not lead to a settlement.

Acknowledging this, Justice Arora noted that the condition of attempting pre-institution mediation under Section 12A of the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, had been met. The Court also agreed to exempt Dabur from making another attempt at mediation, observing that grounds existed for such relief in light of the interim orders being sought.

Related Disparagement Suit Over Chyawanprash Advertisement

In a separate but related matter, Dabur had initiated a disparagement suit against Patanjali in December 2024. The suit targeted a Patanjali advertisement featuring Swami Ramdev, who was shown questioning the quality and authenticity of other Chyawanprash brands in the market.

Dabur argued that the commercial misled consumers and undermined confidence in Ayurvedic health products regulated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Agreeing with Dabur’s arguments, the Delhi High Court in July 2025 restrained Patanjali from airing or publishing the allegedly misleading advertisements.

Legal Teams Representing Both Sides

In the ongoing trademark and disparagement matters, Dabur is being represented by Advocates Hemant Singh, Mamta Rani Jha, Manish Kumar Mishra, Akansha Singh, and Harshit Raj from Inttl Advocare.

Patanjali’s defence team comprises Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayyar, along with Advocates Neha Gupta and Rishabh Pant.

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