The Karnataka High Court’s Division Bench has ruled in favour of Boman Irani, Co-Founder of Classic Legends, confirming his rights over the trademark ‘Yezdi’.

The ruling overturns a previous Single Judge order and marks a victory for Classic Legends, makers of Yezdi, Jawa and BSA motorcycles, and a Mahindra Group company.

The Court observed that the registrations for the brand ‘Yezdi’ obtained by Irani are valid and comply with the Trade Marks Act. The ruling confirmed that Ideal Jawa’s prolonged non-use and failure to renew trademark registrations amounted to abandonment. Ideal Jawa had stopped production in 1996 and was liquidated in 2001, failing to renew the trademark registrations for over 15 years.

In contrast, the Court noted that Irani worked on reviving the brand and lawfully acquired the requisite trademark registrations in 2013-14. He co-founded Classic Legends in 2015 with Anupam Thareja and the Mahindra Group.

Boman Irani, Co-Founder of Classic Legends and Chairman and MD of Rustomjee Group, said, “The verdict feels much more momentous than a fateful personal victory for my family’s legacy. It reaffirms that the perseverance in keeping heritage brands alive never goes unrewarded. The honourable court and judges have supported our efforts to renew Yezdi through innovation and lawful means. I know my father would have wanted me to blaze a trail with brand Yezdi, which has been a part of me since my childhood, and I thank the Indian judicial system for recognising our efforts in carrying forward the legacy for future generations.”

Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group, said, “The honourable Karnataka High Court judges have brought their astute understanding to a case which will redefine India’s IPR legal disputes. It will discourage unwarranted and unfair hurdles to trademark ownership. The verdict proves that sincere efforts to keep alive legacy brands are worth pursuing and vindicates the winning spirit that Boman and Anupam bring to Classic Legends’ mission of reviving Yezdi.”

Anupam Thareja, Co-Founder, Classic Legends, said, “We have honoured Yezdi’s true challenger spirit in reviving the storied brand. We had complete faith in the Indian judicial system, and our trust stands vindicated as the honourable judges have affirmed our rightful ownership of brand Yezdi. We will continue with the same spirit and ensure Yezdi roars back into the hearts of India's modern motorcycling community."

The Court dismissed all pending applications, set aside the earlier order, and allowed all appeals by Irani and Classic Legends.

The judgement highlights the need for active stewardship in preserving brand heritage. The Court observed the following points:

• Ideal Jawa had stopped using the Yezdi mark in 1996, allowed registrations to lapse, and took no steps to protect it; the mark had no surviving goodwill.
• Common-law rights for trademarks exist only through their continued use.
• Both Ideal Jawa and the Official Liquidator (OL) were inactive in using or renewing the trademark.
• The OL cannot claim ignorance of the trademark’s existence when Yezdi was Ideal Jawa’s sole business.
• With no business for 30 years, no renewal, no use, no protection, and the trademark not even mentioned in asset sales, goodwill was extinguished.
• The dues owed to Ideal Jawa in liquidation have no connection to the value of its trademark. The OL cannot equate alleged debts with trademark value.
• Trademarks are intangible rights dependent on use and renewal. Unlike physical property, they do not inherently persist.

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Suzuki Motorcycle India (SMIPL), the two-wheeler subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan, has recorded its highest-ever monthly sales volume, delivering 132,244 units in May 2026, up 3 percent YoY, as compared 128,897 units sold last year.

The milestone performance was driven by an all-time high in domestic dispatches alongside steady growth in international export markets.

Suzuki Motorcycle India saw positive momentum in both the domestic market and exports. The company sold 110,028 units in the domestic market, up 2 percent YoY, while exports came at 22,216 units, up 5 percent YoY.

In addition to whole vehicle distributions, the manufacturer's spare parts division recorded financial gains. Spare parts sales generated revenue of INR 953.60 million in April 2026, marking a 14 percent growth rate over the prior year's corresponding month.

The volume growth highlights the impact of rising customer demand and SMIPL's expanded market outreach. Moving into the next phase of the fiscal year, the company plans to focus on brand activations and targeted engagement initiatives to maintain momentum.

Deepak Mutreja, Vice-President of Sales & Marketing, Suzuki Motorcycle India, said, “SMIPL’s strong performance in May 2026, marked by the highest-ever monthly sales, reflects the positive response to our products and services in the market. The domestic growth highlights the impact of a customer-centric approach and sustained engagement efforts in building deeper connections. Going forward, the focus remains on further enriching customer experiences through impactful engagement initiatives and brand activations.”

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Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI), one of the leading two-wheeler manufacturers, has reported total sales of 518,777 units for May 2026, marking a 12 percent YoY growth compared to the 465,109 units sold for the same month last year.

The sales include 459,611 units in the domestic market, up 10 percent YoY, while exports came at 59,166 units, up 24 percent YoY.

The company's performance indicates steady demand across the automotive two-wheeler market, supported by a product portfolio and a retail network of over 7,000 corporate touchpoints nationwide.

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Chennai-based mid-sized motorcycle manufacturer Royal Enfield has its wholesales 103,231 motorcycles for May 2026, which marks a 15 percent YoY growth compared to the 89,428 motorcycles sold last year.

Interestingly, while domestic sales experienced a strong double-digit growth, international export volumes faced a downward correction during the month.

The company sold 94,115 motorcycles in the domestic market, up 24 percent YoY, while exports declined by 33 percent to 9,116 units.

Royal Enfield is also gearing up to further scale up its production with plans to acquire a land parcel in Tada, Andhra Pradesh, for a new greenfield manufacturing facility. The planned investment of approximately INR 25 billion is to be deployed in a phased manner to augment long-term production capacity.

The OEM also officially expanded its 650cc mid-size motorcycle portfolio by launching the Bullet 650 across India, Europe, the Middle East, Africa (EMEA) and the Australia-New Zealand (ANZ) regions.

B Govindarajan, Managing Director, Eicher Motors and CEO, Royal Enfield, said, “We are carrying our momentum in FY27 with continued growth in Q1, despite the prevailing macro-headwinds. This month was exciting for us, as we strengthened our product portfolio with the Bullet 650. The Bullet is the world’s longest-running motorcycle in continuous production and has garnered the love of riders across generations. The all-new Bullet 650 carries that legacy forward authentically, retaining the soul and unmistakable design philosophy of the Bullet. Another significant business milestone in May was the announcement of our plans for a new manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh to support our long-term projected growth. We also continued to deepen our presence in international markets and engage our riding communities through initiatives like the biggest-ever Himalayan Odyssey and the sixth edition of the Continental GT Cup.”

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Chennai-headquartered two-wheeler and three-wheeler major TVS Motor Company (TVSM) has reported its highest-ever monthly sales milestone, delivering 566,585 units in May 2026. This marks a 31 percent YoY growth compared to the 431,275 units sold last year.

The performance saw historic highs in both international business exports and electric vehicle (EV) distributions.

Last month, the company’s two-wheeler wholesales grew by 31 percent, rising from 416,166 units in May 2025 to 543,111 units in May 2026. This includes 384,565 units in the domestic market, up 24 percent YoY, from 309,287 units in the corresponding month last year.

Interestingly, both the motorcycle and scooter segments registered a robust 30 percent YoY and 32 percent YoY growth, respectively.

In the three-wheeler category, TVS Motor Company recorded a 55 percent growth, with sales increasing to 23,474 units in May 2026 from 15,109 units in May 2025.

TVS Motor Company saw its highest-ever monthly EV sales volume, recording 43,632 units in May 2026. This marks a 56 percent growth trajectory over the 27,976 electric units sold in May 2025.

Concurrently, the company’s total International Business sales hit a new peak, expanding 49 percent to 175,991 units against 118,437 units in the prior year's period. Out of the total export volume, international two-wheeler sales accounted for 158,546 units, representing a 48 percent increase YoY.

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