Everything on this site about registering and keeping a trademark in India, written by a registered Trademark Attorney and arranged in the order you will need it. Each guide is self-contained; together they cover the path from choosing a name to renewing the registration ten years later.
The one idea behind all of them. Filing is not registration. Most of these guides explain a stage that happens after filing, because that is where applications succeed or fail.
Before you file
- Trademark Search in India: How to Check a Brand Name Before You File
How to run a trademark search on IP India's public portal step by step, what wordmark, phonetic and device searches each catch, how to read the results, why a clean search is not a guarantee, and what a professional availability report adds. - Trademark vs Company Name vs Domain Name: What Actually Protects Your Brand
Why a company name approved by the MCA, a domain name, a GST registration or an Udyam certificate gives no trademark rights in India, what each of them actually does, how the Companies Act lets a trademark owner force a company to change its name, and the order to secure a new brand. - Logo vs Wordmark: Which Should You Register First?
Wordmark, logo (device mark) or both: what each protects, which passes examination more easily, why filing in black and white covers all colours, when a composite mark is a trap, and the order in which growing brands usually file. - Trademark Classes in India: All 45 Classes
The complete list of 45 trademark classes used in India (34 goods, 11 services) with headings, short names, how to choose the right classes, common pairs and mistakes. - Documents Required for Trademark Registration in India
Checklist of documents for a trademark application in India by applicant type: individual, proprietorship, partnership, LLP, company, trust and foreign applicant. - Trademark Registration Fees in India (2026)
The complete cost of registering a trademark in India in 2026: government fee per class (₹4,500 or ₹9,000), what a ₹2,000 'registration' actually buys, fees for objections, hearings, opposition and renewal, and our fixed professional fee.
During the application
- Trademark Registration Process in India
The seven stages from search to certificate, in order, as handled by registered Trademark Attorneys. - How Long Does Trademark Registration Take in India?
A stage-by-stage timeline for trademark registration in India in 2026: formalities, examination, objection reply, hearing, journal publication, opposition and certificate, with realistic durations, what slows an application down, and how to speed it up. - Trademark Status Meanings on IP India, Explained
Every trademark application status on IP India explained in plain English: Formalities Chk Pass, Marked for Exam, Objected, Advertised bef acc, Opposed, Registered, Abandoned and more. - Trademark Objection Reply: Section 9 and Section 11
Received a trademark examination report? What a Section 9 or Section 11 objection means, the one-month deadline, what a good reply contains, the evidence that works, and what happens after you file it. - Trademark Hearing in India: What Happens at a Show-Cause Hearing
What a show-cause hearing at the Trade Marks Registry involves: why it is listed, how the notice arrives, video-conference hearings, adjournments, what to file beforehand, what the hearing officer asks, the possible outcomes, and the appeal to the High Court. - Trademark Opposition in India: The Journal, the Four-Month Window and the Counter-Statement
How trademark opposition works in India: the weekly Trade Marks Journal, the four-month opposition window, the two-month counter-statement deadline, evidence rounds, hearing and appeal. - Abandoned Trademark Application: Can It Be Revived?
Why a trademark application shows Abandoned on IP India, the three deadlines that cause it, the one-month review petition that can restore it, when a court challenge is possible because the examination report was never served, and when a fresh application is the only route.
After registration
- ™ vs ®: Which Trademark Symbol Can You Use in India, and When
The difference between the ™ and ® symbols under Indian trademark law: what each means, when you may use them, the offence of using ® on an unregistered mark under Section 79, the SM symbol, and how to add the symbols to your logo and packaging. - Trademark Renewal in India: Deadline, Fees and Restoration
How trademark renewal works in India: the ten-year term from the filing date, Form TM-R and the ₹9,000 fee per class, the six-month surcharge window, restoration of a removed mark, how to check the expiry date, and what happens to a mark that lapses.
Trademark classes
Forty-five pages, one per Nice class, each with what the class covers, typical Indian businesses, companion classes and the pitfalls specific to it. Start at the list of all 45 classes.
Information only. This guide explains a legal process in general terms; it is not legal advice and not a solicitation. Wording of statuses is as shown on IP India's public portal at the date above and may change.