Bombay HC Rejects Meta's Plea to Move Blink Digital's ₹1,158 Crore Suit to California

The Bombay High Court on 27 October 2026 dismissed Meta's application to have digital agency Blink Digital's ₹1,158 crore damages suit sent out of India, rejecting the argument that only courts in California could hear the dispute, according to reports by BestMediaInfo, Social Samosa and Adgully.

Justice Sandeep V Marne's order means the case will continue in Mumbai. The court has not ruled on whether Meta was right to disable Blink's accounts, or on the damages claim.

What Meta argued

Meta had moved the court under Order VII Rule 10 of the Code of Civil Procedure, which lets a court return a plaint it has no jurisdiction to hear. Citing its contract terms, the company argued that the dispute belonged in California. The court had reserved its order on 16 October, BestMediaInfo reported.

The defendants are Facebook India Online Services Pvt Ltd and Meta Platforms Inc. On 10 September, the court allowed Blink to pursue its claim against Meta Platforms Inc, whose principal place of business is outside the court's jurisdiction. Blink argues that Facebook India's role in its business dealings gives a Mumbai court grounds to hear the case.

What the dispute is about

Meta disabled four of Blink Digital's Business Manager accounts and the agency's linked corporate pages on Facebook and Instagram on 3 August 2026. Blink is seeking their restoration and ₹1,158 crore in damages, and is also challenging how fair and enforceable Meta's contract terms are.

Meta has said in court that it acted over alleged breaches of its advertising policies and contract terms, BestMediaInfo reported. Those claims have not been tested by the court. At a hearing on 17 September, Meta undertook to preserve data linked to the disabled accounts.

What happens next

The court will hear Blink's application for temporary relief, including restoration of the four accounts, on 2 November 2026 at 4 pm, with about an hour for each side. Kunal Dwarkadas appears for Blink Digital and Senior Advocate Janak Dwarkadas for Meta.

The case adds to Meta's growing list of disputes with Indian authorities and businesses, from the IT Ministry's demand that it review its feed algorithms to publisher objections to its new business terms.