Mint Quick Edit: Should IndiGo and Mahindra be in a standoff over ‘6e’?

When Mahindra showcased two of its upcoming electric sport utility vehicles (SUVs) last week, it wouldn’t have expected a challenge from a high-altitude carrier of passengers.

But, as reported, India’s largest airline IndiGo has taken Mahindra Electric Automobile Ltd to court for using “6e” in the name of one of those new SUVs.

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Its objection: IndiGo already uses 6E as an identifier or airline code issued to it by the International Air Transport Association. Its use for Mahindra’s new vehicle would cause confusion and dilute its brand, IndiGo reportedly contends.

On its part, Mahindra has said that it is looking for an “amicable settlement.” That shouldn’t be very hard to arrive at, given that the two companies operate in different sectors of transportation which do not easily get mixed up by consumers at large.

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While IndiGo uses 6E as a prefix for flight numbers and clearly considers it valuable intellectual property, to be protected, it’s unclear how an electric SUV model named BE 6e (possibly a play on how it sounds) could impact the air carrier’s business.

If anything, that moniker being used by a ground vehicle might actually serve as a reminder of the brand IndiGo.

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