What are the most significant cases, projects and/or transactions that you and/or your legal team have recently been involved in?

Over the past year, Dabur’s legal team has taken a proactive approach to litigation wherein we have endeavoured to minimise risks for business by pre-empting litigation. More recently, we were able to obtain injunctive reliefs from Delhi high Court against a prominent FMCG competitor for disparaging ads against our power brands. At the same time, we were able to successfully defend our advertisements in suits filed by competitors before Delhi High Court and Calcutta High Court. These cases were also covered by all prominent legal reporting websites.

In a very peculiar case, where certain claims on one of our products packaging were questioned by a Governmental Authority, we were able to get relief from Bombay High Court in the matter & sell the same.

In a major relief to the entire AYUSH Industry, our team played a major role in getting relief from Supreme Court over one of the Drugs Rules which prohibited advertisements of ASU drugs.

Apart from the above, the team has been actively involved in due diligence for mergers and acquisitions while also taking concrete enforcement steps to wipe out counterfeits both offline and online.

Lastly, the legal team has also taken over the entire Intellectual Property portfolio of Dabur which spans across thousands of marks. The team has not only created a comprehensive online database with each and every mark, but is also routinely taking steps to further expand and protect intellectual property rights. We are also undertaking routine enforcement actions to ensure consumers are protected from counterfeits.

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crisis to ensure the organisation’s resilience? 

Like every other company, Dabur also has its periods of instability, but the approach has always been simple for the legal team. No matter the outside noise and instability surrounding the organisation, it is our responsibility to not only ensure that the team stays compliant during any times of “crisis” but also become enablers for business.

During such time, we stress on collaborative efforts between business and legal to help navigate treacherous waters. It is important that the everyone, including legal, chases the decided goal with the aim to achieve.

We further ensure that the organisation is in strict compliance with all the laws and regulations so that there is no additional liability accruing that can distract us.

What strategies do you employ to ensure the successful digital transformation of a legal department while maintaining compliance with your country’s data protection laws? 

At Dabur, we have set protocols and SoPs for maintaining digital files and minimise use of paper in every possible way. We have largely worked on mechanisation of processes by deploying tools. With the evolving Data Protection regulations in the country and the awareness of the same in general public, we are already in advance stages of making the company DPDP compliant.

What factors influence your team’s decision to use external legal services versus handling matters in-house, and what criteria are used to evaluate their performance?

At Dabur, we have, over the years, tried to create a robust team which has experts of different domains to ensure that we can handle most matters in-house. However, for litigations, it is imperative that we are represented by competent lawyers in court. It goes without saying that our internal legal team extends complete support to our external counsels to ensure that the company’s objectives are achieved.

There are plenty of factors that we consider while deciding external counsels but all of them are dependent on the facts, circumstances and nature of the case. However, there are certain qualities that are non-negotiables for us such as accountability, transparency and integrity.

As in-house counsel it is our job to ensure that we have the best possible lawyer on the case to ensure a favourable outcome. However, it is also very important to consider other factors such as cost, jurisdiction, etc. I would like to point out here that there is no straitjacket approach here and we evaluate each case on its own merits to find out the best person for the job.

Looking forward, what trends do you foresee in the legal landscape over the next 5–10 years that companies should prepare for? 

Over the next decade, the legal landscape will be shaped by rapid advances in technology, evolving regulations, and shifting corporate priorities. Artificial intelligence and automation will, in all likelihood, transform legal operations — from contract review to risk prediction — pushing legal teams to adopt tech-driven tools and focus on governance, ethics, and strategic decision-making. Accordingly, on-house counsels will increasingly act as risk strategists and AI ethics advisors rather than just compliance gatekeepers.

I also believe that dispute resolution will shift toward arbitration, mediation, and online platforms as organisations seek faster, confidential outcomes. In a globalised yet fragmented world, businesses must balance local regulatory compliance with international trade, digital sovereignty, and IP protection challenges.

The next era of corporate law will reward proactive, tech-savvy legal functions that blend compliance with strategic foresight and ethical leadership.