A Bengaluru commercial court temporarily blocked WestBridge-backed Way2News from using confidential data. The ruling stems from AppsForBharat's ₹1 crore lawsuit, alleging a former employee leaked proprietary information to Way2News for its spiritual platform. This pits two well-funded spiritual tech players against each other over intellectual property and employee non-compete clauses.
How We Got Here
AppsForBharat claims its ex-employee, Shivam Kumar Singh, resigned in August and then requested Google Drive access from a Way2News email address. The startup further alleges Way2News then used this data to power its competing spiritual platform, Veda Mandir, with identical promotional material.
The Numbers
- AppsForBharat is seeking ₹1 Cr in damages from Way2News and the return of its confidential information.
- The court granted an ad-interim ex parte injunction, meaning Way2News and Singh were not heard before the interim relief.
- The injunction specifically bars Way2News from using data allegedly received from Singh, including videos, marketing, and financial details.
- The court declined to grant injunctions against Way2News soliciting AppsForBharat's employees and customers, issuing notices instead.
- Singh, a former senior operations associate at AppsForBharat, was involved in coordinating priests and pooja operations.
What Happens Next
🇮🇳 Why This Matters for India
For spiritual tech founders in Hyderabad and Chennai, this case sets a crucial precedent on employee data theft and IP protection in a rapidly digitizing sector.
The Take
This legal battle highlights the cutthroat nature of India's niche spiritual tech market, where growth often relies on leveraging network effects quickly. The initial ex parte injunction signals that courts are willing to act fast on IP claims, but the real test is whether AppsForBharat can prove misuse after a full hearing.
Source:
Inc42 ↗