New Delhi, July 28 -- The Bombay High Court has allowed Kirloskar Proprietary Ltd (KPL) to resume licensing the iconic 'Kirloskar' trademark to group companies, lifting a lower court's sweeping ban.

In an interim ruling on 25 July, the court set aside a Pune court's January order that had barred any new brand licensing. However, it maintained a key restriction-no new licensees may compete directly with Kirloskar Brothers Ltd (KBL), the listed pumps and valves company.

The 'Kirloskar' trademark has been used by several group firms since the 1920s. But by 1965, the founding family decided a single company should control the brand's use and integrity.

This led to the formation of KPL, which became the custodian of the trademark for the be...