Mahindra changes its electric SUV name amid legal clash with IndiGo over '6e' trademark, it is now called...

Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) which is a leading auto manufacturer, has announced that it will rename its newly launched electric SUV 'BE 6e' to just 'BE 6'. The incident took place following a trademark dispute with InterGlobe Aviation, the parent company of IndiGo airlines. The conflict stems from the similarity between M&M’s '6e' and IndiGo’s use of the '6E' trademark. Despite the name change, Mahindra stated that it would continue to strongly contest the trademark issue for 'BE 6e' in court.

On November 26, Mahindra introduced two new electric SUV models, the BE 6e and XEV 9e. The BE 6e model boasts a range of 682 km. Mahindra argued that the '6e' name is distinctly different from IndiGo's '6E', which represents an airline, not a vehicle. The company emphasized that the industries and products are completely different, and thus, there should be no confusion. Mahindra also pointed out that the styling of their BE 6e SUV further separates it from the IndiGo brand.

M&M's statement highlighted that, in the past, Tata Motors had objected to InterGlobe Aviation using the 'IndiGo' name due to the existence of the Tata Indigo car brand. Mahindra believes that InterGlobe’s objection to their 'BE 6e' name is inconsistent with how the airline brand has been used in a different sector. The company clarified that its trademark application for 'BE 6e' was for the automobile industry, and it does not foresee any conflict with IndiGo's use of '6E'.

Mahindra also expressed concern over the unnecessary conflict between two large Indian companies, suggesting that they should be supporting each other’s growth rather than engaging in a legal dispute. The auto giant emphasized that its focus remains on providing a top-notch experience for customers. Despite renaming the SUV to 'BE 6', Mahindra intends to continue its legal battle over the '6e' trademark, arguing that if the claim is not challenged, it could set a negative precedent for the use of alpha-numeric trademarks. Mahindra asserted its rights to the 'BE 6e' name and will continue to pursue its registration under class 12 for vehicles.