Guwahati: The yoga guru Baba Ramdev-fronted Patanjali Ayurved's business in Guwahati, Assam has not been affected by its legal battle with the Supreme Court over misleading advertisements, a company official said.

"As far as we know, sales of the goods here in the city have not been affected", the Patanjali official told Business North East, requesting anonymity. "Volume of goods sold here has remained constant."

"Despite the controversy surrounding instant verdicts on social media, Patanjali's products are largely herbal, naturally organic, and ayurvedic, making them a globally established name in the industry", Ashok Kumar Singh, the Chief General Manager of factories and head of Patanjali's palm oil endeavors in the Northeast, told Business North East. "Patanjali has not only created consumer loyalty but also introduced ayurveda to the mainstream", he asserted.

Patanjali's Assam Connection:

Patanjali has become a prominent player in India's Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector, but concerns have been raised about the veracity of some of its promotional claims. In Assam, the company is a key component in the state government's plans to bring 3.75 hectares under palm oil cultivation. Patanjali alone has set a target of 60,300 hectares of palm oil plantations in Assam by 2026.

It will develop palm oil plantations in seven districts - Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Golaghat, Jorhat, Nagaon, Kamrup, Kamrup (Metro), and Goalpara.

Last year, labour welfare minister of Assam Sanjoy Kishan announced that Patanjali Ayurved is also planning to enter the Assam tea market with its own brand to help the brew reach a global market. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has approached Ramdev to take over the responsibility of branding and marketing of Assam tea.

The Tocklai Tea Research Institute in Assam's Jorhat district is also collaborating with Ramdev's company on advanced research on extracting chemical compounds from tea leaves and seeds, according to a report in The Economic Times.

Patanjali's Legal Troubles:

The Supreme Court last year issued a contempt notice against Patanjali. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) filed a petition in the Supreme Court in August 2022 after Patanjali posted a series of allegedly misleading advertisements on the COVID-19 pandemic. The IMA accused Patanjali of contributing to vaccine hesitancy during the pandemic and promoting false claims about curing certain diseases.

The Supreme Court has warned Patanjali against claiming their products can cure diseases and threatened to impose a Rs 1 crore cost on every product advertised with misleading claims. Earlier this month, the apex court rejected Patanjali Ayurved's Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna's 'unconditional' apology affidavit. The Supreme Court on Tuesday (April 16) granted Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna one week to address the contempt charges after they offered a public apology. Another hearing is scheduled for April 23.

Ramdev had challenged the allegations against his company and accused a “group of doctors” of conspiring against his firm.

Headquartered in Haridwar, a Hindu pilgrimage site in Uttarakhand state, Patanjali manufactures a wide range of products including cosmetics, Ayurvedic medicine, personal care, and food. According to reports, the company has an annual turnover of around $4 billion.

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