Co-founder Deepak Poduval has challenged the 2017 transfer of the CULT trademark to Cultfit Healthcare, alleging forged signatures on the assignment documents
Cult.fit’s ownership of the CULT fitness brand has come under legal scrutiny ahead of its proposed initial public offering (IPO), with co-founder Deepak Poduval challenging the transfer of trademark rights to the company’s subsidiary and alleging that signatures on the 2017 assignment documents were forged.
The dispute is being heard in two separate proceedings. The Madras High Court is examining Poduval’s petition seeking cancellation of the trademark registrations held by Cultfit Healthcare, while a Bengaluru Commercial Court is hearing his challenge to the documents through which the brand was allegedly transferred in 2017.
“The matter is currently sub judice before Honourable Courts. The ownership of the Cult brand and trademark rests within the Cult.fit group and we have the requisite registrations and documentation in place. Separately, Cult.fit has also received final approval from Sebi on its DRHP,” a Cult.fit spokesperson told BW Retail World.
The Madras High Court issued notice on 12 October in the trademark rectification petition (OP(TM) No. 51 of 2026). On 5 November, it adjourned the matter to 2 December, giving Cultfit Healthcare an opportunity to file its response.
Poduval, who co-founded the original CULT fitness business in Bengaluru in 2015, has separately sought a declaration from the Bengaluru Commercial Court that the 2017 assignment deeds are void. He alleges that the signatures attributed to him on these documents were forged, citing a privately commissioned forensic examination. The matter is scheduled for 16 November.
The matter has also surfaced in the company’s regulatory disclosures ahead of its proposed IPO. In a written response dated 14 October to a complaint filed by Poduval with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi).
The trademark claims go back to the establishment of the fitness business. Poduval applied for the ‘CULT – The Workout Station’ trademark in August 2015. Cultfit Healthcare filed a separate application in November 2016, claiming that it had been using the mark since 1 May 2015.
The legal challenge concerns a brand that extends across the group’s fitness operations and associated products. Cult.fit operates hundreds of fitness centres under the CULT name, in addition to its Cult Neo gym format and Cultgear products.
The outcome of the proceedings could determine the group’s rights over the contested trademarks, including its ability to use, license or transfer them. The dispute therefore puts the ownership documentation of one of its principal consumer-facing brands under scrutiny as the company prepares for its proposed public listing.
