The Bombay High Court on Monday (15 June) refused to interfere with an interim order restraining Express Publications (Madurai) Pvt. Ltd. (EPM) from using the title “The New Indian Express” outside the southern states where it was contractually permitted to operate.
A Division Bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande dismissed EPM’s appeal and affirmed an earlier order passed in favour of The Indian Express.
Background of the Case
The dispute traces its roots to a family settlement within the Indian Express Group following the death of founder Ramnath Goenka.
Under a Memorandum of Settlement executed in 1995 and supplemented in 2005, The Indian Express retained ownership of the “Indian Express” trademark. EPM was granted limited rights to use the title “The New Indian Express” for publishing newspapers in specified southern states and certain Union Territories.
The controversy arose after EPM organised an event titled “The New Indian Express – Mumbai Dialogues” in Mumbai in September 2024. The Indian Express argued that the use of the brand outside the agreed territories violated the settlement terms and infringed its trademark rights.
The Division Bench found no reason to overturn the earlier ruling.
Agreeing with the findings of the single judge, the Court noted that there was no “perversity” in the interim order. The Bench accepted the prima facie view that ownership of the “Indian Express” trademark remained exclusively with The Indian Express.
The Court also endorsed the earlier finding that the title “The New Indian Express” was being used under a limited and conditional licence. The single-judge bench had observed that use of the mark beyond the agreed territories exceeded the rights granted under the settlement agreements.
Dismissing the appeal, the Bombay High Court continued the restraint against Express Publications (Madurai) Pvt. Ltd. from using “The New Indian Express” brand outside the territories specified under the settlement arrangements.
Case Details:
Case Title: Express Publications, Madurai vs The Indian Express
Case Number: COMAP(L)/41053/2025
Judges: Justice Bharati Dangre and Justice Manjusha Deshpande
Decision Date: June 15, 2026
