India: Advertising, Marketing & Branding

Hanuman Ansh, produced for just 2 crore rupees, has now made over 250 crore. And there is a legal reason it could tell this story so cheaply. The first is a marketing miracle. The second is a quiet point of law. Let me take both. It is a devotional drama about Neem Karoli Baba, made by a first-time filmmaker, Vishal Chaturvedi, from his own book. It opened on August 7 to a day-one collection of just ten lakh. Almost nobody knew it existed.

For years, businesses have watched competitors surface on the search results page the instant a customer types their brand name. The technique is simple: buy the rival’s brand as a paid-search keyword, and your sponsored link appears alongside, or above, the results the customer was actually looking for. In Hindware Ltd. v. Grohe India Pvt. Ltd. and the connected matter against Omkara Infoweb, the Delhi High Court confronted the practice directly, and held that selling a registered trademark as an advertising keyword is itself an infringing use in advertising. Just as importantly, it held that the advertising platform cannot run the keyword auction, and keep the revenue, and then disclaim responsibility as a mere intermediary.

The Delhi High Court, by its judgment dated 8 September 2026, dismissed the appeal filed by UltraTech Cement Limited (UltraTech) challenging the order of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) impleading the Builders’ Association of India (BAI) to participate in proceedings initiated by the CCI against cement manufacturers under Section 26(1) of the Competition Act, 2002 (Act).

India's food safety regulator has challenged Diageo's Royal Challenge whisky labeling, questioning claims about maturation in American oak casks and the presence of imported Scotch. The FSSAI's enforcement action raises critical questions about how alcoholic beverage manufacturers substantiate age claims, ingredient disclosures, and product characteristics under India's evolving regulatory framework.

On June 18, 2026, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) issued an stating that if a brand’s product label, website, or advertising uses the term ‘100%’ in any claim about composition, ingredients, or naturalness, then that claim must be literally and verifiably true.

Food-safety enforcement in India has begun to look markedly different over the past few months. Five-star hotels, restaurant chains, quick-commerce dark stores, food manufacturers, nutraceutical companies and even celebrity endorsers have come under regulatory scrutiny.

On July 24, 2025, India and the United Kingdom signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) also known as the India - UK Free Trade Agreement (“FTA”).

India's Supreme Court has issued a sharp rebuke to alcohol manufacturers selling vodka and other spirits in packaging designed to mimic children's fruit juice boxes.

India's new Anti-Greenwashing Guidelines impose strict penalties up to INR 50 lakhs on manufacturers and endorsers who make unsubstantiated environmental claims like 'organic,' 'eco-friendly,' or 'sustainable' without credible certification. As global regulatory bodies increasingly crack down on misleading green marketing, businesses must audit their claims and maintain proper documentation to avoid reputational damage and financial liability.