FabIndia gives undertaking to give up khadi tag on its products

Ethnic clothes retailer Fabindia has assured the Bombay High Court it will not use the term khadi in its current or future products. The company will also file its response to a petition filed by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) in four weeks. KVIC had moved the Bombay High Court in June against Fabindia alleging it was illegally using its trademark ‘charkha’ and selling apparel with the ‘khadi’ tag. The commission, in its suit, has sought damages to the tune of Rs 525 crore from Fabindia.

In earlier hearings, the lawyers appearing for the KVIC had accused Fabindia of selling garments in the name and style of ‘khadi’, despite several correspondences sent to them by the authorities and also a legal notice issued to them in February this year. According to the Khadi Mark Regulations, 2003, and Khadi & Village Industries Commission Act, 1956, no individual or institution can sell textiles certified as khadi products without it bearing the ‘khadi ,mark’ tag or label issued by KVIC.