Delhi High Court Stops ‘Bukhara Inn’ from Using ITC’s Famous BUKHARA Trademark
The Delhi High Court has restrained a Delhi-based hotel, Bukhara Inn / Hotel Bukhara / Hotel Bukhara Inn, from using ITC Limited’s well-known trademark BUKHARA. The Court observed that the hotel’s use of the mark appeared to be dishonest and intended to take unfair advantage of ITC’s established reputation.
Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora passed the order on a plea filed by ITC Ltd and ITC Hotels. The company alleged that the defendants were infringing and passing off their long-standing and globally recognised BUKHARA trademark, associated with the iconic restaurant at ITC Maurya, New Delhi.
ITC’s BUKHARA restaurant, launched in the late 1970s, has become a global name in Indian cuisine. The company holds multiple trademark registrations since 1985, and in 2024, the Delhi High Court had formally recognised BUKHARA as a “well-known trademark” under Section 2(1)(zg) of the Trade Marks Act, 1999.
The Court noted that ITC generated around ₹48.84 crore in revenue from the BUKHARA restaurant in FY 2024–25 and continues to be the “prior adopter and registered proprietor” of the trademark.
Rejecting the defendant’s claim that the name Bukhara Inn was linked to the proprietor’s surname “Bukhari,” the Court held that there was no genuine justification for using a mark identical to ITC’s well-known BUKHARA. It also observed that the defendant’s adoption of the name reflected mala fide intent and deliberate infringement.
Finding a strong prima facie case in ITC’s favour, Justice Arora said that denying interim protection would cause irreparable loss to the company. The Court, therefore, granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction, restraining the defendants and their agents from using BUKHARA or any similar name or mark that could cause confusion.
The matter will next be heard on April 14, 2026.
ITC was represented by Senior Advocates Arvind K. Nigam, Gopal Jain, and Shyel Trehan, along with Advocates Tanmay Mehta, Suhrita Majumdar, Debjyoti Sarkar, Afzal B Khan, Sharad Besoya, Agnish Aditya, Vidhi Jain, and Rohan Poddar.
