The Delhi High Court restrains a competitor from using advertisements that refer to Physics Wallah as “Sasta Wallah.”
The Delhi High Court restrains a competitor from using advertisements that refer to Physics Wallah as "Sasta Wallah."
People can be incredibly jealous, often going to great lengths to tease and bring others down. It’s disheartening to see how some individuals resort to mocking or disparaging others, especially when it comes to success in fields like education. Instead of lifting each other up, they choose to undermine accomplishments, which reflects more on their insecurities than on the person they target.
On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court granted a temporary injunction against Scholars Den, preventing the edtech company from running advertisements that label PhysicsWallah as “Sasta Wallah” (cheap one). PhysicsWallah argued that these ads were damaging and derogatory to its reputation. Known for offering affordable courses for students preparing for competitive exams like the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), PhysicsWallah claimed that the use of “Sasta Wallah” not only ridiculed its business model but also misrepresented the quality of its education, according to a report by Bar and Bench.
The advertisements were reportedly displayed outside PhysicsWallah’s coaching centers and shared on social media, posing a risk to its brand. The court found that PhysicsWallah presented a compelling case for the injunction, highlighting the potential for “irreparable loss” to the company. Justice Mini Pushkarna, who oversaw the case, ordered Scholars Den to immediately stop publishing or broadcasting the offensive advertisements.
The court determined that permitting the advertisements to persist would greatly harm PhysicsWallah, known for delivering quality education at reasonable prices.
The case is set to be reviewed again in April 2025, once both sides have finished their pleadings and submitted their evidence. In the meantime, Scholars Den is not allowed to use the phrase “Sasta Wallah” in any advertising or public communications.
Founded in 2016 by Alakh Pandey, a teacher who became an entrepreneur, the successful edtech company recently raised $210 million, pushing its valuation to $2.8 billion. The firm is getting ready for an IPO, planning to raise $500 million, and has shortlisted banks like Axis Capital, Kotak Mahindra Capital, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan to assist with this process.
In the same industry, Scholars Den, located in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, provides both online and offline coaching for students preparing for competitive exams such as JEE and NEET.
