Reliance withdraws trademark request for ‘Operation Sindoor’

Reliance Industries on Thursday withdrew its application to register ‘Operation Sindoor’ as a trademark, a day after it had submitted the request with Office of Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks.

The company, in a statement, said the application was filed “inadvertently” by a junior person without authorisation.

“Reliance Industries has no intention of trademarking ‘Operation Sindoor’, a phrase which is now a part of the national consciousness as an evocative symbol of Indian bravery,” the company said.

Notably, as many as four applications, including one by Reliance and three more by a Mumbai resident, a retired Indian Air Force officer and a Delhi-based lawyer, were filed to use the phrase for entertainment-related services like audio and video content, which includes education and training services, film and media production, live performances and events, digital content delivery and publishing, and cultural and sporting activities.

The category is often used by OTT platforms, production houses, broadcasters, and event companies, suggesting that ‘Operation Sindoor’ could have become a film title, web series or documentary brand.

Reliance filed the application for entertainment, publishing, and language training, according to the scope of application claimed by the applicants shown on the Controller General of Patents, Designs and TradeMarks.

The Mukesh Ambani-run firm stated that all its stakeholders are incredibly proud of Operation Sindoor, which came about in response to a Pakistan-sponsored terrorist attack in Pahalgam.

“‘Operation Sindoor’ is the proud achievement of our brave armed forces in India’s uncompromising fight against the evil of terrorism. Reliance stands fully in support of our government and armed forces in this fight against terrorism,” it said.