Mahindra & Mahindra, on December 7, has officially announced the alteration of the name of its electric SUV from “BE 6e” to “BE 6”. It is a crucial step in the Indian automotive industry amid the ongoing dispute between Mahindra & Mahindra and IndiGo regarding trademarks. The change has been followed by a legal challenge claimed byInterGlobe Aviation limited, parent company of IndiGoairlines, against Mahindra on the concern of using “6E” branding, which has been synonymous with the airline for over 18 years.
On November 26, Mahindra launched two of its electric origin SUVs, the XEV 9e and BE 6e, with the commitment to electric to mobility symbol. The SUVs are designed to provide high quality performance, top-notch safety, and efficiency. They are built on Mahindra’s INGLO architecture, aiming to cater environmentally conscious consumers while maintaining luxury and to quality performance.
The concern was raised by InterGlobe Aviation regarding the use of the name “6E” will create confusion among the audience. The callsign “6E” is an integral part of IndiGo’s brand identity and has been extensively used across its products and services, including 6E Prime and 6E Flex. To avoid any distractions and prevent delays in the introduction of new models to the market, Mahindra has renamed the SUV “BE 6” while still contesting its right to use “BE 6e” in the court.
Mahindra believes that the automobile sector is completely different from airline industry and has no fundamental connection with each other, thus there is no possible way of causing confusion, “We believe it differs fundamentally from IndiGo’s “6E”, which represents an airline, eliminating any risk of confusion”, stated by Mahindra. It also highlighted that “BE 6e” trademark registration is under Class 12, cover. “We find it unseemly that two large, Indian multinationals should engage in a distracting and unnecessary conflict when we should be championing each other’s growth and expansion,” Mahindra said in a statement.
The company emphasized in the statement, “Mahindra’s mark is “BE 6e” not the standalone “6E”. It voiced that IndiGo’s claim is baseless and posed a threat of controlling alpha numeric trademarks across the sectors that could have broader implications for brand identities in different industries. It expressed their strong dedication to continue the legal battle to secure the rights to its original branding, stating “We will thus continue to strongly contest this in court and reserve our right to the brand name BE 6e”.
Adding further, Mahindra said, “In fact, we would like to point out that in the past, Tata Motors had objected to InterGlobeusing the IndiGo mark, given their Tata Indigo car brand. InterGlobe continues to use the mark IndiGo in a different industry and business. We therefore find their objection to BE 6e to be inconsistent with their own previous conduct”. Mentioning the previous case of Tata and InterGlobe Aviation it shows its persistence on fighting for its rights. Distinguishing itself from other competitors, it also emphasized that companies should focus on delivering quality products that aligns with the vision of the company to popularize electric mobility in India. Apart from all the chaos, Mahindra is looking forward to commence its sales in February 2025.
However, talking to True To Life, lawyer Ms. Simran Rai said, “The similarity of brand name might confuse consumers, which is also the highlight of this case. According to me, IndiGo is right to protect its trademark because it’s been known for years now. Mahindra has also played a smart move by changing its name from “BE 6e” to “BE 6”, that will avoid delays in further process, though it also needs to show that their branding would not lead to any misunderstanding for customers.”
Mahindra & Mahindra, on December 7, has officially announced the alteration of the name of its electric SUV from “BE 6e” to “BE 6”. It is a crucial step in the Indian automotive industry amid the ongoing dispute between Mahindra & Mahindra and IndiGo regarding trademarks. The change has been followed by a legal challenge claimed byInterGlobe Aviation limited, parent company of IndiGoairlines, against Mahindra on the concern of using “6E” branding, which has been synonymous with the airline for over 18 years.
On November 26, Mahindra launched two of its electric origin SUVs, the XEV 9e and BE 6e, with the commitment to electric to mobility symbol. The SUVs are designed to provide high quality performance, top-notch safety, and efficiency. They are built on Mahindra’s INGLO architecture, aiming to cater environmentally conscious consumers while maintaining luxury and to quality performance.
The concern was raised by InterGlobe Aviation regarding the use of the name “6E” will create confusion among the audience. The callsign “6E” is an integral part of IndiGo’s brand identity and has been extensively used across its products and services, including 6E Prime and 6E Flex. To avoid any distractions and prevent delays in the introduction of new models to the market, Mahindra has renamed the SUV “BE 6” while still contesting its right to use “BE 6e” in the court.
Mahindra believes that the automobile sector is completely different from airline industry and has no fundamental connection with each other, thus there is no possible way of causing confusion, “We believe it differs fundamentally from IndiGo’s “6E”, which represents an airline, eliminating any risk of confusion”, stated by Mahindra. It also highlighted that “BE 6e” trademark registration is under Class 12, cover. “We find it unseemly that two large, Indian multinationals should engage in a distracting and unnecessary conflict when we should be championing each other’s growth and expansion,” Mahindra said in a statement.
The company emphasized in the statement, “Mahindra’s mark is “BE 6e” not the standalone “6E”. It voiced that IndiGo’s claim is baseless and posed a threat of controlling alpha numeric trademarks across the sectors that could have broader implications for brand identities in different industries. It expressed their strong dedication to continue the legal battle to secure the rights to its original branding, stating “We will thus continue to strongly contest this in court and reserve our right to the brand name BE 6e”.
Adding further, Mahindra said, “In fact, we would like to point out that in the past, Tata Motors had objected to InterGlobeusing the IndiGo mark, given their Tata Indigo car brand. InterGlobe continues to use the mark IndiGo in a different industry and business. We therefore find their objection to BE 6e to be inconsistent with their own previous conduct”. Mentioning the previous case of Tata and InterGlobe Aviation it shows its persistence on fighting for its rights. Distinguishing itself from other competitors, it also emphasized that companies should focus on delivering quality products that aligns with the vision of the company to popularize electric mobility in India. Apart from all the chaos, Mahindra is looking forward to commence its sales in February 2025.
However, talking to True To Life, lawyer Ms. Simran Rai said, “The similarity of brand name might confuse consumers, which is also the highlight of this case. According to me, IndiGo is right to protect its trademark because it’s been known for years now. Mahindra has also played a smart move by changing its name from “BE 6e” to “BE 6”, that will avoid delays in further process, though it also needs to show that their branding would not lead to any misunderstanding for customers.”