The Delhi High Court has restrained Ramkrishna Yadav, popularly known as Baba Ramdev, and Patanjali Ayurved from airing an advertisement that allegedly calls other competitors’ ‘Chyawanprash’ brands “dhoka.” Justice Tejas Karia directed social media platforms, over-the-top (OTT) services, and broadcasters to block the ad within three days.
At the time of writing, YouTube and Instagram have removed the alleged ad following the Delhi High Court’s takedown order. For context, Chyawanprash is an Ayurvedic dietary supplement composed of herbal ingredients, widely believed to support immunity and gut health.
What was the complaint:
During the court proceedings, Dabur said, as noted in the court order, that the 129-year-old company, Dabur India Limited, is “synonymous with Ayurvedic medicine” and that one of their products, Chyawanprash, which was introduced in the early 1900s, is a “market leader” in its category. The company argued that “even the term or the very idea of mentioning Chyawanprash is primarily associated in the minds of the public with the Plaintiff’s [Dabur] product.” Therefore, they claimed, Patanjali’s advertisements could potentially harm their existing business.
However, this is not the first time Patanjali has faced judicial scrutiny over similar claims. In July 2025, the Delhi High Court, while hearing another suit filed by Dabur, issued an interim order directing Patanjali Ayurved to remove ads that disparaged Dabur’s product, Chyawanprash.
What the Court Said:
The court stated that a “false advertising” ad could cause serious and irreversible harm to Dabur. It also noted that stopping Patanjali’s ads from labelling Dabur’s product or other competitors’ products as “deceptive” would not significantly impact the businesses of competitors, as they can still advertise their own products without making such claims about other companies’ products.
The court observed that an average viewer watching the ad featuring Baba Ramdev, a well-known and influential figure, would likely believe his claim that only the defendants’ product is genuine Chyawanprash. This could lead viewers to dismiss other brands. Because of his influence and the message of the ad, the court found that the advertisement effectively disparages the entire Chyawanprash category.
“The Defendants [Patanjali] shall take down / block / disable the Impugned Advertisement from all electronic medium including national television channels, over the top platforms or any form of streaming system, and all other digital mediums including print mediums and platforms on the World Wide Web / Internet, Newspapers, all of their social media accounts,“ reads the court order.
Previous Instances
Earlier, in April 2025, Patanjali removed its ‘Sharbat Jihad’ video advertisements following a warning from the Delhi High Court. The ad, featuring Baba Ramdev, allegedly disparaged Hamdard’s Rooh Afza and included communal remarks. The court described the content as “shocking” and “indefensible,” warning of stricter action if such videos were aired again. Patanjali complied and took down the ad from all social media and print channels.
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In February 2024, the Supreme Court of India issued a contempt notice against Patanjali and its Managing Director, Acharya Balakrishna, for violating the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. The case involved Patanjali allegedly promoting its products as offering “permanent relief” from obesity, asthma, high blood pressure, and other conditions, thereby misleading consumers.
In other instances, the Delhi High Court has issued removal orders against misleading or harmful online content. These include directing Google to implement automated tools to remove fake news and deepfake content about Jagadish Vasudev (Sadhguru) and ordering X and Meta to take down AI-generated pornographic content targeting a social media influencer. Separately, the court also ordered Unacademy to stop using Asian News International’s copyrighted content on its YouTube channel.
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