Mahindra says ‘BE 6e’ not in conflict with IndiGo’s ‘6E’ call sign

Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) on Tuesday said the name of its new battery electric vehicle, BE 6e, is not in conflict with IndiGo’s ‘6E’ call sign and that the automaker is engaged in discussions with the airline to find an "amicable" solution.

Mahindra revealed its electric origin SUVs, the BE 6e and XEV 9e, on November 26, 2024. At the launch, Mahindra executives said that the name BE 6e is a wordplay on "be sexy". Mahindra has applied for trademark registration under class 12 (vehicles) for “BE 6e” as part of its "electric origin" SUV portfolio. “We hence don’t see a conflict as Mahindra’s mark is 'BE 6e', not the standalone '6E'. It differs fundamentally from IndiGo’s '6E', which represents an airline, eliminating any risk of confusion,” the automaker says, adding that the "distinct styling further emphasises their uniqueness."

M&M's statement comes after India’s largest airline filed a suit in the Delhi High Court for alleged infringement of trademark against Mahindra Electric Automobile Ltd, M&M's EV unit, for naming its new EV as BE 6e.

Mahindra says it has taken on board the concerns that InterGlobe Aviation has to infringement of their goodwill, which was not its intention. “We are engaged in discussions with them to find an amicable solution,” the carmaker says.

Like the XUV brand for internal-combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, Mahindra announced two different brand names for its EVs—BE and XEV. The automaker's strategy has been to create a “house of brands” which allows it an opportunity to launch multiple products for multiple segments. BE 6e is the first EV under the BE brand. While the BE brand is for sportier cars which are driver-focused, the XEV brand focuses on bigger premium SUVs.

M&M last week launched two new “born-electric” SUVs, the BE 6e and the XEV 9e, at prices starting from ₹18.9 lakh (ex-showroom) and ₹21.9 lakh, respectively. While these vehicles are not in the market currently, their deliveries are expected to begin by the end of February 2025. These “electric origin” SUVs will be shipped to dealerships in a phased manner in the later part of January 2025.