Mediation between Dabur and Patanjali fails in the ‘Dant Kanti Red’ toothpaste trademark dispute. Delhi High Court to hear the trade dress infringement case in December 2025.
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NEW DELHI: Dabur India Limited has dragged Patanjali Ayurved Ltd to the Delhi High Court, alleging trademark infringement over its “Dant Kanti Red” toothpaste. The dispute arose on claims that Patanjali’s new packaging closely imitates Dabur’s iconic “Red” toothpaste, potentially misleading consumers. With mediation efforts failing, the matter is now headed for a full hearing in December 2025.
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What is the Dispute?
Dabur India Limited has taken Patanjali Ayurved Ltd to the Delhi High Court over alleged trademark infringement concerning Patanjali’s “Dant Kanti Red (Pan Flavour)” toothpaste. Dabur claims that Patanjali’s packaging is deceptively similar to its flagship product, “Dabur Red,” which could potentially mislead consumers and dilute Dabur’s brand identity.
Dabur’s primary contention is that while it does not object to the use of the word “Red,” the “pan leaf” symbol, or Patanjali’s earlier packaging, the new packaging adopted by Patanjali in December 2024 is a direct imitation of Dabur Red’s trade dress. According to Dabur, this is not just a case of competitive branding but one that crosses into the territory of unfair trade practices and passing off.
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Mediation and Legal Proceedings
On January 15, 2025, the case came up before Justice Amit Bansal. The Court, while hearing the matter, acknowledged Dabur’s concerns and noted that the primary grievance lay in the updated packaging by Patanjali. The Court also recorded that Dabur was not opposed to the earlier design or even to the shared terminology and motifs, like the term “Red” or the pan leaf image.
The matter was referred to mediation, and both parties were directed to explore a possible resolution. However, as per the update on August 1, 2025, the mediation has failed.
Because of this, Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora noted that the requirement of pre-institution mediation under Section 12A of the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, had been fulfilled. Consequently, the Court listed the matter for final consideration in December 2025, while exempting the plaintiff from undergoing another round of mediation.
ALSO READ: Dabur Moves To Delhi HC Against Patanjali for Disparaging Chyawanprash Ads
In December 2024, Dabur also filed a disparagement suit against Patanjali over a commercial featuring Swami Ramdev. In the ad, Ramdev questioned the authenticity of other Chyawanprash brands, an act that Dabur said undermined consumer trust and was contrary to the regulatory standards governing Ayurvedic medicines.
The Court found merit in Dabur’s arguments and, in July 2025, passed an interim injunction restraining Patanjali from promoting the disparaging advertisements.
Appearance:
Plaintiff (Dabur): Advocates Hemant Singh, Mamta Rani Jha, Manish Kumar Mishra, Akansha Singh, and Harshit Raj from Inttl Advocate.
Defendant (Patanjali): Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayyar with Advocates Neha Gupta and Rishabh Pant.
Case Title: Dabur India Limited Vs Patanjali Ayurved Ltd
CS(COMM) 33/2025 with I.A. 913-915/2025
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