Mahindra Renames BE 6e Amid Legal Battle with IndiGo, Vows to Defend Brand Rights in Court

India's renowned automotive giant, Mahindra & Mahindra, has found itself in a legal dispute with the country's largest airline, IndiGo, over the name of Mahindra's latest electric SUV, the BE 6e.

What Is The Ruckus All About?

Mahindra & Mahindra unveiled its latest electric SUVs, the BE 6e and XEV 9e, on November 26, 2024, as part of its "Born Electric" portfolio. After the launch, the name of the car caught attention and sparked a dispute with InterGlobe Aviation. Indigo's parent company, Interglobe, raised an objection regarding the name of the new EV car segments, claiming the '6e' in the SUV's name coincides with its trademarked flight code, 6E. The controversy erupted after Interglobe filed a legal appeal against Mahindra's use of the "BE6e" as the name of their new automobile, claiming it could affect IndiGo's branding.

Mahindra's Response to Indigo's Legal Suit

In response to that, Mahindra & Mahindra announced on Saturday that it will remove the 'e' from the name of its new electric SUV, the 'BE6e.
In its media release dated December 7, the company has stated its intention to contest Interglobe's objection in court. The hearing will be conducted in the Delhi High Court, as India Today reported. The auto giant believes there is no conflict between the two brands and intends to seek rights to the "BE6e" trademark as part of its electric vehicle portfolio.
The automaker applied for trademark registration under Class 12 (vehicles) for the BE6e, aligning it with its "Born Electric" platform that emphasizes a sustainable future for the automotive industry.

Mahindra said," We also find it unseemly that two large Indian multinationals should engage in a distracting and unnecessary conflict when in fact we should be championing each other's growth and expansion. We are hence taking the decision to brand our product the "BE 6."

Mahindra pointed out a past instance where Tata Motors had raised concerns over InterGlobe using the name "IndiGo," as it closely resembled Tata's "Indigo" car brand. Despite Tata Motors' objection, InterGlobe continued to use the name "IndiGo" because it was in a completely different industry, i.e., aviation, as compared to Tata's automobile business.

Mahindra finds it surprising and inconsistent that InterGlobe is now objecting to the use of "BE6e" for their electric SUV, even though the two brands operate in entirely separate industries. Mahindra believes that just as InterGlobe was allowed to retain the "IndiGo" name without issue in the past, their use of "BE6e" should also be accepted, as it does not create any confusion between the two sectors.