The Delhi High Court has directed US-based hosting platforms Vercel, GitHub, and Netlify to take down 15 fake websites impersonating IndiaMART, a leading B2B marketplace with 219 million registered buyers and 8.6 million suppliers as of March 2026. The court also ordered the blocking of associated WhatsApp accounts used to spread these fraudulent sites, citing trademark infringement and copyright violations, according to medianama.com.
The fake websites cloned IndiaMART’s design, layout, and user interface, including features like 'call now' and 'get better price' buttons. Fraudsters used these sites to target registered sellers by sending WhatsApp messages and emails containing links to the cloned pages. When sellers clicked the links, they were redirected to phishing pages designed to deceive them. The court’s ruling emphasized the responsibility of cloud infrastructure providers to act swiftly, imposing short compliance deadlines for takedown, as detailed in court documents reviewed by medianama.com.
This ruling highlights Indian courts’ increasing willingness to hold global cloud hosting platforms accountable for third-party content infringing on local trademarks. IndiaMART’s scale and verified seller base made it a lucrative target for fraudsters, reflecting broader challenges in protecting digital marketplaces from sophisticated phishing and cloning attacks. The decision aligns with a growing trend of legal actions against platforms hosting counterfeit or infringing content, reinforcing trademark protections in India’s digital economy.
The Delhi High Court’s order sets a precedent for rapid enforcement against online fraud, mandating immediate removal of infringing URLs and blocking of WhatsApp accounts linked to the scam. The court’s directive was issued in early June 2026, with compliance deadlines spanning just days, underscoring judicial urgency in combating digital impersonation and protecting Indian businesses.