Trademark registration: process, documents and filing support

Under the First Schedule of the Trade Marks Rules, 2017, the official e-filing fee is ₹4,500 per class for an individual, a DPIIT-recognised startup or a small enterprise, and ₹9,000 per class for any other applicant. Rule 2(1)(v) defines a small enterprise by the investment limit for a medium enterprise under the MSMED Act, 2006, so a company, LLP or firm can qualify on the strength of its Udyam certificate. Filing on paper costs ₹5,000 and ₹10,000 per class respectively. This is a per-class fee — three classes means three times the fee.

A trademark registration is valid for 10 years from the date of filing, and can be renewed indefinitely in further 10-year terms by filing Form TM-R.

Yes — you can use the ™ symbol as soon as your application is filed, to signal a claimed (though not yet registered) mark. The ® symbol can legally only be used once the Registrar has actually granted registration.

Filing and registration are separate stages. The time to registration depends on Registry examination, the Journal opposition period and any objection or opposition. Confirm the filing schedule after the documents and scope are checked; do not treat an estimate as a guaranteed registration date.

Read each ground in the examination report and respond within one month from receipt under Rule 33(4). Keep the service record. The reply and any use or distinctiveness evidence must match the application. A hearing may follow if the objection remains; acceptance is not guaranteed.

The Nice Classification system used by IP India groups goods into Classes 1–34 and services into Classes 35–45 — e.g. Class 25 covers clothing, Class 30 covers food staples, Class 35 covers advertising/business services, and Class 41 covers education/entertainment. Picking the wrong class is one of the most common — and costly — filing mistakes, since a rejected class isn't refunded.

A word mark and a device mark protect different aspects of a brand. Review separate applications if both the name and artwork matter.

A trademark registered with IP India is protected across the whole of India the moment it's granted — there's no separate state-level registration. Being Gujarat-based only affects which Registry office typically handles your filing (Ahmedabad falls under the Trademark Registry's jurisdiction), not the geographic scope of protection.

TM/™ can signal a claimed mark without registration. Use ® only after registration for the covered mark and goods or services. A pending application is not registration. False representation as registered is subject to the current Section 107 penalty provisions.

Yes — individuals, DPIIT-recognised startups and small enterprises pay ₹4,500 per class instead of ₹9,000, a 50% discount. Rule 2(1)(v) of the Trade Marks Rules, 2017 sets the small-enterprise limit at the investment ceiling for a medium enterprise under the MSMED Act, 2006, so on its wording a micro, small or medium enterprise qualifies. Practice on certificates marked Medium is not uniform, so confirm the category before claiming it, and submit the supporting certificate with the application.

No. MCA name approval and trademark registration serve different purposes. Check the brand separately before investing in packaging or promotion.

Send the proposed owner's details, exact brand spelling or logo, goods or services and use history. Include any supporting certificate relevant to the fee category.

Give the actual first-use details and dated evidence. A claimed use date before filing requires a user affidavit and supporting documents.