National: Barely a day after the Indian armed forces executed their swift and targeted retaliatory strikes under the codename Operation Sindoor, a trademark battle has erupted around the term, with Reliance Industries and multiple private individuals rushing to claim intellectual property rights over the now-iconic phrase.
On May 7, Reliance Industries, led by Mukesh Ambani, officially filed a trademark application with India’s Trade Marks Registry to register Operation Sindoor as a word mark under Class 41 — which covers education and entertainment services. In a surprising twist, three other entities — Mukesh Chetram Agrawal, retired Group Captain Kamal Singh Oberh, and Alok Kothari — submitted competing applications, each attempting to stake their own legal claim to the term.
The name Operation Sindoor was unveiled by the Indian military following overnight precision strikes on May 6–7 against terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The action, carried out in response to the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 25 Indian civilians, was described by the Ministry of Defence as “focused, measured and non-escalatory,” with a clear emphasis that Pakistani military installations were not targeted.
The attempt to commercialise a military operation title — especially one still fresh in national consciousness — has sparked both curiosity and controversy. Trademark experts note that while registering such terms is legally permissible if not restricted under the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, it raises moral and ethical questions about the commodification of national security events. Corporate and individual applicants often see value in leveraging widely recognised names for documentaries, merchandise, video games, or educational content.
This isn’t the first instance of opportunistic trademarking in the aftermath of major national events, but the speed and volume of applications this time underline the growing trend of IP claims following significant geopolitical or military developments. With four different applicants now vying for the rights to Operation Sindoor, the Trade Marks Registry may soon be tasked with determining who — if anyone — has the rightful claim to a phrase born from one of India’s most consequential military operations in recent times.