In a significant legal challenge, PB Agro LLP, the company behind Vimal Elaichi, has taken the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the Delhi High Court. The firm seeks to invalidate show-cause notices issued to prominent brand ambassadors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff concerning alleged surrogate advertising for Vimal Pan Masala.
The controversy began on August 11, 2026, when the Maharashtra FDA issued notices to the three actors. The regulatory body contended that advertisements for Vimal Elaichi effectively serve as surrogate promotion for Vimal Pan Masala, a chewable tobacco product that is prohibited in Maharashtra.
Jurisdiction and Allegations Challenged
PB Agro LLP, the master licensee and manufacturer of Vimal Elaichi, filed its petition on Monday, September 8, 2026. The company argues that the Maharashtra FDA lacks the territorial jurisdiction to issue such directives or mandate the removal of digital promotional content. Furthermore, the firm asserts that the FDA incorrectly targeted the celebrity endorsers directly, bypassing the corporate entity itself.
The company also rebutted the core allegation of proxy branding, stating that Vimal Pan Masala has not been manufactured in Maharashtra since 2001. PB Agro LLP claims that any adverse regulatory enforcement against its campaign would inflict “irreparable harm” on its business operations.
Delhi High Court to Rule on Jurisdiction
The Delhi High Court, presided over by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, has reserved its order on a crucial preliminary issue: whether the court possesses the necessary jurisdiction to hear a challenge against regulatory enforcement initiated by an authority in Maharashtra.
The High Court's decision on this jurisdictional matter will determine the future course of the case. It will decide whether the substantive merits of the FDA’s surrogate-advertising claims—and the legal validity of the notices served to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff—will be adjudicated in Delhi or if the matter will be directed to another forum.
FDA's Demands to Actors
The Maharashtra FDA's notices had instructed the actors to provide documentary evidence proving that Vimal Elaichi is an independent, standalone commercial product. Additionally, the regulatory authority ordered the stars to immediately withdraw from the endorsement campaign, remove all related promotional media from their personal social media handles and official websites, and cease any future endorsements of the brand.