Trademark Registration in India · All Entity Types · All Classes
Protect your brand name, logo, and slogan with a registered trademark. Comprehensive search, expert TM-A filing, and objection support by IP lawyers. Professional fee from ₹2,499, plus government fee from ₹4,500 per class.
Share your brand name or logo and the goods or services it covers. An IP lawyer from our team will run a preliminary search, identify your class, confirm whether you qualify for the concessional MSME or startup government fee, and respond with a clear quote.
Most applications are searched and filed within 24 to 48 hours of receiving your documents. You can begin using the ™ symbol the moment we file.
Trademark registration in India gives you the exclusive legal right to your brand name, logo, slogan, or design in your industry. Whether you are a sole proprietor, a freelancer, an MSME, a startup, or a large company, a registered trademark is legal ownership: it stops competitors using a similar mark, it builds brand value, and it becomes an asset you can sell, franchise, or licence.
My Legal Pal handles the full process under the Trade Marks Act, 1999 and the Trade Marks Rules, 2017: a comprehensive trademark search, drafting and filing of the Form TM-A application, response to any examination objection, and follow-through to your registration certificate. Filing is online, valid across all of India, and handled by IP lawyers, not a form-filling service.
The earlier you file, the stronger your position. India follows a “first to file” approach in practice, the person who files first generally has priority, so a delay can mean losing your own brand name to someone who registered it first. You can start using the ™ symbol the moment your application is filed, and the ® symbol once it is registered.
From search to registration certificate, handled end to end.
Your brand name or logo, the goods or services it covers, and your entity type. We run a free preliminary search.
A trademark lawyer confirms your class, checks for conflicts, and advises on the strongest filing strategy.
We draft the TM-A and Power of Attorney (TM-48), correctly classified and described, for your review.
You see the application before anything is filed. We amend to your comments.
Filed with the Trade Marks Registry. You receive the application number and can begin using ™ immediately.
We track examination, respond to any objection, monitor the opposition window, and follow through to your certificate.
Select your situation. We will tell you what it involves, the indicative cost, and the timeline.
The total cost has two parts: the government fee (fixed by the Trade Marks Rules, 2017, and paid to the Registry per class) and our professional fee. The government fee depends on your entity type. Individuals, sole proprietors, MSMEs registered under Udyam, and DPIIT-recognised startups pay the concessional rate of ₹4,500 per class, half the ₹9,000 standard rate that applies to companies and LLPs.
| Entity type | Professional fee | Govt. fee / class | Total / class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | ₹2,499 | ₹4,500 | ₹6,999 |
| Sole Proprietor | ₹2,499 | ₹4,500 | ₹6,999 |
| MSME (with Udyam) / DPIIT Startup | ₹2,499 | ₹4,500 | ₹6,999 |
| LLP | ₹2,499 | ₹9,000 | ₹11,499 |
| Private Limited Company | ₹2,499 | ₹9,000 | ₹11,499 |
| Public Limited Company | ₹2,499 | ₹9,000 | ₹11,499 |
| Foreign Entity | ₹2,499 | ₹9,000 | ₹11,499 |
Notes: Government fees are per class, per application, and are non-refundable. The ₹4,500 concessional rate requires a valid Udyam (MSME) certificate or DPIIT startup recognition at the time of filing. Figures above are for online (e-filing); physical filing is ₹500 higher per class. Objection replies, opposition, and expedited examination are quoted separately. Multi-class filings multiply the government fee by the number of classes.
The documents depend on who is applying. We prepare the Power of Attorney for you; you provide the identity and brand details.
Applicant’s name and address; identity proof; the trademark name and logo (if a logo mark); a description of the goods or services and the business type; and the signed Power of Attorney (Form TM-48), which we draft for you.
Business registration certificate (incorporation certificate, LLP agreement, or partnership deed); the signed Power of Attorney (TM-48); the trademark name and logo; identity and address proof of the authorised director or partner; and, for the concessional fee, the Udyam (MSME) certificate or DPIIT startup recognition.
Certificate of incorporation, duly notarised and legalised; the signed Power of Attorney; the trademark name and logo; and details of the goods or services offered. We handle the additional documentation foreign applicants require.
No, it is not legally mandatory, you can operate a business without a registered trademark. But without registration you have only limited common-law rights (a passing-off action), which are harder and more expensive to enforce. Registration gives you a statutory right to exclusive use, the ability to sue for infringement, and a public record of ownership. For any brand you intend to build on, registration is strongly advisable.
The ™ symbol can be used the moment you file a trademark application (or even before, to assert an unregistered claim). It signals that you claim the mark. The ® symbol can only be used once the trademark is registered, using it before registration is an offence. So you use ™ during the application period and switch to ® once your registration certificate is issued.
They protect different things. A trademark protects brand identifiers: names, logos, slogans, the things that distinguish your goods or services. A copyright protects original creative works: writing, art, music, software code. A patent protects inventions: new and useful products or processes. A single business often needs more than one: a trademark for its brand, copyright for its content, and a patent only if it has a genuine invention. If you need the assignment or licensing of any of these documented, see contract drafting.
If there is no objection and no opposition, registration typically takes 6 to 12 months. If the examiner raises an objection, or a third party opposes the mark after publication, it can take 18 to 24 months or longer. The application number and the right to use ™ come immediately on filing; the full registration certificate comes at the end. Expedited examination is available at a higher government fee for applicants who need a faster examination.
There are 45 classes under the Nice Classification (Classes 1 to 34 cover goods; Classes 35 to 45 cover services). The 13th edition took effect on 1 January 2026 and adjusted some headings. You file in the class or classes that match your actual goods and services. Since the government fee is charged per class, class selection is a real cost decision, we advise on the classes you genuinely need rather than over-filing.
After filing, the Registry examines your application and may issue an examination report raising an objection, commonly under Section 9 (the mark is descriptive or lacks distinctiveness) or Section 11 (the mark is similar to an earlier mark). You have 30 days to file a reasoned reply. A well-argued reply, with supporting case law, often overcomes the objection. An objection is not a rejection; it is a stage many applications pass through.
You can file yourself through the IP India portal. Whether you should is a different question. The common self-filing mistakes, wrong class, weak or descriptive mark, missed objection deadline, inadequate goods description, are exactly the ones that cause an application to fail or get delayed by a year. A proper search and correctly drafted application cost far less than refiling after a rejection or losing your brand to a prior mark.
You can act for infringement. The usual first step is a cease-and-desist legal notice demanding they stop, followed if necessary by an infringement suit, where a registered trademark gives you statutory remedies including injunctions and damages. Registration is what makes this enforcement straightforward; without it, you are limited to a harder passing-off claim.
Almost any person or entity can own a trademark. Each applicant type has its own documentation and, in some cases, its own government fee.
Freelancers, consultants, influencers, and small business owners can register a mark in their personal name or proprietorship name, at the concessional ₹4,500 government fee per class.
Businesses registered under Udyam, or recognised as startups by DPIIT, qualify for the same concessional ₹4,500 fee, half the company rate. This is a genuine saving and one of the most under-claimed benefits of MSME and startup registration.
Corporate entities register in the company or LLP name to protect the corporate brand. The government fee is ₹9,000 per class.
Foreign companies and individuals can register marks in India to secure rights as they enter the market, with notarised and legalised documentation. International protection from an Indian base is also available through the Madrid Protocol.
Two parts. The government fee is ₹4,500 per class for individuals, sole proprietors, MSMEs (with Udyam), and DPIIT startups, and ₹9,000 per class for companies, LLPs, and others, fixed by the Trade Marks Rules, 2017, and non-refundable. Our professional fee starts at ₹2,499. So a single-class filing for an individual or startup totals about ₹6,999, and for a company about ₹11,499, per class.
No, but it is strongly advisable. Without registration you have only limited common-law rights, which are harder to enforce. Registration gives you a statutory exclusive right, the ability to sue for infringement, and a public ownership record.
Typically 6 to 12 months if there is no objection or opposition, and 18 to 24 months or longer if there is. You get the application number and the right to use ™ immediately on filing. Expedited examination is available at a higher government fee.
™ can be used the moment you file an application and signals a claimed mark. ® can only be used once the trademark is registered; using it before registration is an offence. You use ™ during the application period and ® after the certificate is issued.
Yes. Businesses registered under Udyam (MSME) or recognised as startups by DPIIT pay the concessional government fee of ₹4,500 per class instead of ₹9,000, a 50% saving. You must hold a valid certificate at the time of filing. This is one of the most under-claimed benefits of MSME and startup registration.
After filing, the Registry examines your application and may raise an objection, usually under Section 9 (descriptive or non-distinctive) or Section 11 (similar to an earlier mark). You have 30 days to file a reasoned reply. A well-argued reply with case-law support often overcomes the objection. An objection is a stage, not a rejection.
You file in the classes that match your actual goods and services, out of 45 classes under the Nice Classification. Since the government fee is charged per class, this is a cost decision. We advise on the classes you genuinely need rather than over-filing.
A registered trademark is valid for 10 years from the date of application and can be renewed indefinitely in 10-year blocks. We recommend renewing in the six months before expiry to avoid a surcharge.
Yes, and often you should. Filing the wordmark and the logo as separate applications gives broader protection than a single composite mark, because each is protected independently. We advise on the right approach for your brand.
Yes. Foreign entities can register marks in India with notarised and legalised documentation. International protection from an Indian base is also available through the Madrid Protocol.
An IP lawyer from our team, not a form-filling service. We run the search, draft and file the application, respond to any objection, and follow through to your registration certificate.
Prakhar Rai is an advocate enrolled with the Bar Council of India and the founder of My Legal Pal. An alumnus of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore, with a Master of Business Laws, Prakhar has 10+ years of experience advising startups, MSMEs, companies, and individual entrepreneurs on intellectual property, contract law, and corporate matters across India and internationally.
His practice has particular depth in trademark and intellectual property protection: brand clearance searches, trademark prosecution, objection and opposition handling, and the assignment and licensing of IP. My Legal Pal’s trademark service is led by Prakhar and delivered by a team experienced in filings before the Indian Trade Marks Registry.
Free preliminary search. Professional fee from ₹2,499. Government fee from ₹4,500 per class. Filed within 24 to 48 hours, ™ usable immediately. Protect your brand before someone else does.
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