Mahindra had recently launched its first set of born-electric vehicles in India, one of which was the Mahindra BE 6e. Underpinned by the all-new INGLO global modular skateboard platform, this coupe SUV comes at a starting price of Rs 18.90 lakh (ex-showroom, Chennai).
InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., the parent company of IndiGo airlines, has sued Mahindra for using their trademarked name ‘6e’ for its new SUV in India. Indigo argues that they have trademarked the alpha-numeric code and it is synonymous with their brand name.
Mahindra states that Indigo’s claim is baseless and they have trademarked the name ‘BE 6e’ in a completely different category that neither directly nor indirectly competes with Indigo airlines. Hence, the lawsuit filed by InterGlobe/IndiGo is unnecessary.
Interestingly, Indigo had itself been involved in a legal battle with Tata Motors a decade ago, when the latter had a car named the ‘Tata Indigo’ on sale in India. Mahindra has cited the new lawsuit to be inconsistent with Indigo’s conduct in the past.
Mahindra has temporarily renamed the BE 6e to BE 6 till the time both the parties come to an agreement or the court dictates a suitable outcome. Mahindra has said that it will actively contest against Indigo against this claim.