IndiGo sues Mahindra Over ‘6E’ trademark

IndiGo has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Mahindra Electric Automobile in the Delhi High Court, challenging the use of '6E' in the name of Mahindra’s upcoming electric car, the Mahindra BE 6E. The car, set for release in February 2025, has raised concerns with IndiGo, which operates under the callsign '6E,' a key part of its brand identity, as reported by Bar and Bench.

The case, Interglobe Aviation vs. Mahindra Electric Automobile, was listed before Justice Amit Bansal on Tuesday. However, the judge recused himself from hearing the matter, and a new hearing is scheduled for December 9. IndiGo’s senior counsel, Sandeep Sethi, informed the court that the airline had engaged in discussions with Mahindra to resolve the issue out of court.

IndiGo has used '6E' for various passenger services, including 6E Prime, 6E Flex, and 6E Add-ons. In 2015, the airline registered the trademark '6E Link' across multiple classes, including Class 9 for advertising services, Class 35 for transport-related advertising, Class 39 for airline transport services, and Class 16 for printed advertising materials.

Mahindra Electric recently received approval from the trademark registrar to register 'BE 6E' under Class 12, which covers motor vehicles, excluding two-wheelers. IndiGo contends that the use of '6E' in the name of Mahindra’s electric vehicle could lead to consumer confusion and harm its established brand identity. The company has also released a statement defending their position.

Trademark classes are a system used to categorise goods and services for trademark registration. This helps define the scope of protection a trademark receives and avoid conflicts between similar trademarks used in different sectors.

IndiGo’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, along with advocates Aditya Gupta, Mukul Kocchar, and Chhavi Tokas from Ira Law, has sought relief from the Intellectual Property Division of the Delhi High Court.