By Ankita Bora

Mamaearth, a personal care brand, has filed a case against the founder of The Moms Co.
for owning the trademark of the company’s brand name.

Honasa Consumer Private Limited (HCPL), Mamaearth’s parent company, has filed a
petition with the Bombay High Court seeking the cancellation of the registered word
trademark “Mamaearth,” according to the Draft Red Herring Prospectus. The trademark was
obtained by Malika Sadani, the founder of The Moms Co, Mamaearth’s rival.

A word trademark is a word or phrase that identifies a brand. Mamaearth owns only a device
trademark, at present. Sadani, however, claims she has proof of ownership to contest the
petition.

Mamaearth was launched in 2015 by Varun and Ghazal Alagh. Its parent company operates
six brands including The Derma Co, Bblunt, Ayuga, Aqualogica and Dr Sheth. In terms of
revenue, Mamaearth outpaces all other HCPL brands, contributing significantly to the
company’s overall revenue growth. The Moms Co was started by Sadani and her husband
Mohit Sadani in 2016 to offer toxin-free baby and mother care products.

Honasa and Sadani are now locked in a legal battle as The Moms Co. founder claims she
owned the name “Mamaearth” before she founded her company. “I owned the name when I
was contemplating names for (The) Moms Co.,” said Sadani who will be contesting the
petition with proof of ownership.

An email and multiple calls to Mamaearth did not elicit a response.

The legal dispute between Mamaearth and The Moms Co echoes a recent case of copyright
infringement, where the Delhi High Court barred Humans of Bombay and People of India
from copying each other’s work.

Honasa Consumer launched its initial public offering (IPO) on November 7. The company’s
stock plummeted by over 15% during early trading, reaching Rs.256.10.
Honasa’s case against Sadani will come up for hearing at the High Court on December 5.