- Monday, February 24, 2025
The Indian firm, Tesla Power India Pvt Ltd, said during the hearing that its main business is to manufacture ‘lead acid batteries’ and doesn’t intend to make electric vehicles.
By: Shubham Ghosh
US ELECTRIC automobile manufacturer led by Elon Musk has filed a lawsuit against an Indian battery maker for allegedly violating its trademark by employing the name “Tesla Power” to market its goods, Reuters reported.
The legal action aims to secure compensation and a lasting injunction against the company from a judge in New Delhi, the report added.
The American company said in a hearing at the Delhi high court this week that despite receiving a cease-and-desist notice in April 2022, the Indian company allegedly persisted in promoting its products under the “Tesla Power” brand, as disclosed in court proceedings on the court’s website.
Read: Musk postpones India visit, says ‘very heavy Tesla obligations’
The Indian firm, Tesla Power India Pvt Ltd, said during the hearing that its main business is to manufacture “lead acid batteries” and doesn’t intend to make electric vehicles.
The judge gave the Indian company three weeks to provide responses in written after it handed over documents in its defence, the court record showed, according to Reuters.
Read: India factory plans in limbo as Musk’s Tesla shifts focus
Musk’s Tesla, which is incorporated in Delaware, US, has accused the Indian company of using trade names “Tesla Power” and “Tesla Power USA”.
The court record included screenshots of a website that showed that Tesla Power USA LLC was also headquartered in Delaware and had been “acknowledged for being a pioneer and leader in introducing affordable batteries” with “a very strong presence in India”.
A representative of Tesla Power told the outlet that it has been present in India much before the American car maker and had all government permissions.
“We have never claimed to be related to Elon Musk’s Tesla,” Tesla Power’s Manoj Pahwa was quoted as saying.
The US giant told the judge that it found the Indian firm using its brand name in 2022 and had tried to stop it but was unsuccessful.
The case comes days after Musk cancelled his planned visit to India last month to meet prime minister Modi and embarked on a surprise trip to China and progressed towards rolling out its advanced driver assistance package, a move that many in India believed to be a snub.
The Tesla India trademark case will next be heard on May 22, the Reuters report added.
