High Court Bans Illegal Use Of 'Khadi' Brand For Beauty Pageant Or Business

The high court accepted the arguments of the KVIC that the defendants' websites and social media pages have been scripted and structured in a manner that gives the impression that they are the same as the KVIC or they are part of a government body providing the same services as the Khadi India.

Private entities involved in organising beauty pageants and other business activities by illegally using the brand name "Khadi" of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) have been restrained by the Delhi High Court from carrying out any "misleading" activities in the name of Khadi. The Noida-based 'Khadi Design Council of India' (KDCI) and 'Miss India Khadi Foundation' (MIKF) were accused by the KVIC of fraudulently using the brand name and deceiving people. The high court said the names of the two entities were "deceptively similar" to the KVIC's trademark 'Khadi' and hence, amounted to violation of the trademark. The high court also directed the defendants - 'Khadi Design Council of India', 'Miss India Khadi Foundation' and its self-proclaimed CEO Ankush Anami - to take down all their social media accounts on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook under the tradename 'Khadi Design Council of India' and 'Miss India Khadi'.