After Public Outrage, Ambani’s Studio Drops Bid To Trademark ‘Operation Sindoor’

India-West News Desk

NEW DELHI – After inflaming public sentiment, Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Studios has withdrawn its controversial application to trademark the codename used for India’s military strikes against Pakistan. The move followed intense backlash on social media and criticism from political figures who accused Asia’s richest man of attempting to profit from national military action.

As of May 7, four different applications were made to trademark the phrase ‘Operation Sindoor’ under Class 41 of the Nice Classification. It is commonly used by OTT platforms, broadcasters, and filmmakers and would have meant that the phrase could have been turned into a movie, web series or anything else in the entertainment business.

Reliance was the first to file the application.

Reliance, Ambani’s conglomerate, issued a statement claiming the trademark application—filed for “provision of entertainment; production, presentation and distribution of audio, video”—had been submitted “inadvertently” by a junior employee without proper authorization. It acknowledged that “Operation Sindoor,” the codename in question, has become “a part of the national consciousness as an evocative symbol of Indian bravery” and should not be commercialized.

The statement came shortly after screenshots of trademark filings, including Reliance’s, began circulating online, triggering a wave of public and political criticism.