The Madras High Court has issued notice on a petition seeking cancellation of the CULT trademark registration held by Cultfit Healthcare Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Cult.fit Ltd, raising questions over the ownership of the fitness brand ahead of the company’s proposed initial public offering (IPO).
Deepak Poduval, who co-founded the original CULT fitness business in Bengaluru in 2015, has filed a rectification petition (OP(TM) No. 51 of 2026) challenging the subsidiary’s trademark registration. The court issued notice on October 12 and, on November 5, adjourned the matter to December 2 to allow the registered owner to file its response.
Separately, Poduval has approached the Bengaluru Commercial Court seeking to have the 2017 deeds purportedly transferring the brand declared void, alleging that the signatures on the documents were forged. The suit is next listed for November 16. Cult.fit has denied the allegations, maintaining that Poduval signed the assignment deeds.
The dispute has also brought the company’s trademark disclosures under scrutiny. In a written response dated October 14 to Poduval’s complaint to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Cult.fit acknowledged that its draft IPO prospectus incorrectly described the ownership of the CULT trademarks. It clarified that the registrations are held by Cultfit Healthcare Pvt Ltd and not Cult.fit Ltd, and undertook to correct the disclosure in its final prospectus.
Poduval had first applied for the ‘CULT – The Workout Station’ trademark in August 2015. Cultfit Healthcare filed its application in November 2016, claiming use from May 1, 2015.
Poduval alleges that the signatures on the 2017 assignment deeds are forged, citing a privately commissioned forensic examination. The company has disputed the claim.
The challenge could have implications for the group, which operates hundreds of fitness centres under the CULT brand, alongside Cult Neo gyms and Cultgear products. If the petition succeeds, it could affect the group’s rights to use, license or transfer the trademark.
Published on November 11, 2026
