Honey war gets bitter

Honey war gets bitter

Dabur drags rival to court in an all-out war to prevent new entrant in the honey market

The ongoing war over capturing the ever-growing honey market in India has turned bitter with the home-grown FMGC major Dabur India Limited dragging a rival company, allegedly to prevent it enter into the honey business.

Dabur has moved to the Delhi High Court against Mumbai-based Indian MNC Marico Limited and its directors accusing them of failing to adhere to the Court's order.

Marico had entered the honey market with its brand Saffola. Ever since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and suggestions that consumption of honey increases immunity, the major Indian honey brands have been fighting a pitched battle trying to prove that their product is the purest.

In newspaper ads recently, Saffola Honey had claimed that its product was pure and natural compared to others including Dabur Honey being adulterated with the report of a private laboratory to back its claim.

Dabur has charged Marico with failing to honour the undertaking it had given in the court to change the packaging. Dabur has been claiming that Saffola Honey's packaging looked similar to its product.

"This is yet another frivolous attempt on the part of the competition to stall the successful launch of Saffola Honey. In the past, too, Dabur has filed baseless cases in ASCI and other forums and Marico's stand has been vindicated in all forums," a Marico spokesperson said while refuting Dabur's claim.

Marico spokesperson claimed that their firm had not breached any court order and that the company had not given any undertaking. "The competition is falsely referring to voluntary changes made by Marico to its Saffola Honey packaging as an undertaking," the spokesperson added.