JioHotstar accused of copying Lava’s tagline, MD Sunil Raina calls out Ambani-owned platform for ‘lack of originality’

Lava International's Managing Director, Sunil Raina, has publicly criticized Mukesh Ambani's JioHotstar for allegedly copying the mobile company's tagline, #ProudlyIndian.

“We created the hashtag #ProudlyIndian nearly five years ago and had it registered. Recently, I noticed JioHotstar using the same tagline. I’m surprised that a company of their size and reputation would lack originality in this way,” Raina wrote in a post on LinkedIn.

Backing Raina’s stance, Jitendra Kushwaha, Head of Marketing at Global India and a former Lava executive, commented: “#ProudlyIndian stands with Lava Mobile. Original taglines reflect identity—respecting IP rights is essential for fair and ethical branding.”



The debate sparked further support online. One commenter said, “Totally agree with you, Sunil Sir. If #ProudlyIndian is already registered and part of Lava’s brand identity, its unauthorized usage by another major player raises serious questions about originality and respect for intellectual property. Big brands must lead by example, not borrow what others have built with pride and purpose.”

Another added, “They may copy, but we all know who we are proud of as Indians. Unwavering support for Lava. It’s special to us.”

However, not everyone agreed. One LinkedIn user argued the tagline is “quite generic in nature.” Another pointed out a potential legal nuance: “Sunil Raina, if I’m not mistaken, Lava has registered the tagline ‘Proudly Indian’ under Class 25, and Class 35 is still pending. Since broadcasting services like JioHotstar fall under Class 38, there doesn’t appear to be any trademark infringement in this case.”

JioHotstar—formed through the merger of JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar—is currently one of India’s largest streaming platforms. The platform has yet to respond publicly to the allegations.