How much does trademark registration cost in India?

The government fee is ₹4,500 per class for individuals, startups and MSMEs, and ₹9,000 per class for companies and other applicants when filed electronically. Professional fees for search, class selection and drafting the TM-A application are separate, and our plans show both clearly before you commit.

What are trademark classes?

Goods and services are divided into 45 classes under the Nice Classification — 34 for goods and 11 for services. Your trademark is protected only in the classes you register it in, so choosing the right class (or classes) for your actual and planned business is the single most important decision in the application.

How long does trademark registration take?

An uncontested registration typically takes 6 to 18 months: examination usually takes 12 to 18 months (or about 30 days under expedited examination), followed by a 4-month journal publication window. If an objection or opposition arises, the timeline extends accordingly, but you can use ™ throughout.

What is the difference between ™ and ®?

The ™ symbol can be used from the day you file your application to signal that you claim rights in the mark. The ® symbol can only be used once the trademark is formally registered. Using ® before registration is itself an offence, so the two symbols mark two different stages of the same journey.

Can I use ™ immediately after filing?

Yes. As soon as your TM-A application is filed and you have an application number, you can use the ™ symbol alongside your brand. It does not guarantee registration, but it puts the public and competitors on notice that you are claiming rights in the mark from your filing date.

What happens if my trademark is objected?

Roughly one in three applications receives an objection from the examiner under Section 9 (absolute grounds, such as a descriptive mark) or Section 11 (relative grounds, such as a conflicting earlier mark). An objection is not a refusal — most are resolved at the written-reply stage, which must be filed within 30 days of the examination report.

What is a trademark opposition?

After your mark is advertised in the Trade Marks Journal, any third party can oppose it within four months by filing Form TM-O. You then have two months to file a Counter-Statement. Opposition is an adversarial proceeding with evidence rounds and hearings, distinct from a Registry objection raised during examination.

Can one application cover multiple classes?

Yes. Under Section 18(2) of the Trade Marks Act, a single TM-A application can cover multiple classes. The government fee, however, is charged per class, so a three-class application costs three times the per-class fee. A multi-class filing is convenient but does not reduce the per-class government cost.

Should I register my logo and wordmark separately?

A wordmark protects the brand name in any font or style, while a logo (device mark) protects the specific stylised design. Registering both gives the widest protection, because a wordmark alone does not cover your visual identity and a logo alone does not stop someone using the name in plain text.

How long is a registered trademark valid?

A registered trademark is valid for 10 years from the date of filing and can be renewed indefinitely in further 10-year blocks. As long as you renew on time, your trademark protection never expires — making it one of the few business assets that can last as long as the brand itself.

What is expedited examination?

Under Rule 34, you can request expedited examination by filing Form TM-M with a higher fee — ₹20,000 for individuals, startups and MSMEs, or ₹40,000 for companies. The examination report then issues in about 30 days instead of 12 to 18 months, which suits funded startups and brands working to a launch deadline.

Can individuals file a trademark?

Yes. Individuals, sole proprietors, startups, partnerships, LLPs and companies can all apply. Individuals, startups and MSMEs also pay the lower ₹4,500 per-class government fee, so you do not need a registered company to protect your brand name.

What happens after 10 years?

Before the 10-year term ends, you file a renewal to extend protection for another 10 years. If you miss the deadline there is a grace period with a surcharge, and beyond that the mark can be removed from the register — so renewal tracking matters as much as the original filing.

₹4,500 govt fee · Use ™ from day one

Trademark Registration — Own Your Brand Name Before Someone Else Does

Trademark registration secures exclusive nationwide rights over your brand name, logo or slogan under the Trade Marks Act, 1999 — search-backed filing, expert-drafted applications, and objection replies handled end to end.

Comprehensive search before filing
Correct class selection across 45 classes
TM-A drafted by trademark experts
Objection reply included in premium plans
Application tracked to the registration certificate

TRUSTED BY GROWING BRANDS

Brands protected for founders across India

₹4,500

Govt fee per class

Individuals, startups & MSMEs (₹9,000 for companies)

Nice classes

Pick the classes that match your business

10 years

Validity

Renewable indefinitely in 10-year blocks

™

Usable from filing

® only after the mark is registered

What is trademark registration?

Trademark registration is the legal process of securing exclusive rights over a brand name, logo, or slogan by filing Form TM-A with the Trade Marks Registry under the Trade Marks Act, 1999 — giving the owner nationwide protection for 10 years, renewable indefinitely. It converts a name you simply use into a name you legally own, with the State backing your exclusive right to it across India.

A wide range of brand elements can be trademarked: a word or wordmark, a logo or device, a slogan or tagline, and even less obvious identifiers like a distinctive shape, a sound, or a colour combination, provided they distinguish your goods or services from everyone else's. The day you file, you can attach the ™ symbol to signal a claim; the ® symbol — and the full force of the law — arrives only once the Registry grants the mark and it enters the register.

Registration unlocks rights that mere use cannot. A registered proprietor can sue for infringement and claim statutory remedies, license or franchise the mark for royalty income, assign or sell it as a transferable asset, and use the registration to gate marketplace brand registries and stop copycats. In short, registration turns a brand from a marketing label into a balance-sheet asset you can defend, monetise, and pass on.

Trademark registration service under the Trade Marks Act with ComplyLocal

WHO SHOULD REGISTER

The brands that cannot afford to wait

If your name carries goodwill — or soon will — these are the situations where registration moves from optional to urgent.

D2C & e-commerce brands

Marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart run brand registries that favour, and increasingly require, registered trademark owners. Without a ® you face listing hijacks, counterfeit sellers riding your name, and no fast route to take them down. Registration is what unlocks brand-gating and protects your storefront identity.

Startups before funding

Investors run IP diligence before they wire money, and an unregistered brand is a red flag that can shave your valuation or stall a term sheet. Filing early — and ideally via expedited examination — turns your name into a documented, defensible asset on the cap-table conversation rather than an open liability.

Manufacturers

A manufacturer's brand often travels further than its factory, appearing on distributor shelves and third-party listings across states. A registered mark lets you control who uses your name on goods, act against lookalike packaging, and protect the reputation your quality has earned from being diluted by imitators.

Service businesses

Agencies, clinics, consultancies and SaaS companies live or die on reputation attached to a name. Because services span classes 35 to 45, registering in the right service class stops a competitor from trading on your goodwill and gives you the standing to enforce your identity as you expand into new cities or verticals.

Franchisors

A franchise model is, at its core, the licensing of a brand — and you cannot license what you do not own. A registered trademark is the legal backbone of every franchise agreement, letting you grant controlled rights, collect royalties, and enforce quality standards across outlets without surrendering your name.

Exporters

Indian exporters are repeatedly ambushed by local agents or distributors who register the brand in the destination country first. Securing your Indian registration creates the priority record and the home-base right you need before you expand abroad, and underpins any later international filing under the Madrid Protocol.

THE COST OF DELAY

What you risk by waiting

India leans first-to-file. Every month your brand is unregistered is a month someone else can claim it — and the longer you wait, the more goodwill you have to lose.

Someone else files first

Indian trademark law leans toward first-to-file: the party who reaches the Registry first generally prevails, even if you used the name earlier. A squatter, competitor, or former associate who files before you can force you to fight — or surrender — a name you built.

Rebranding after years of goodwill

If a conflicting mark surfaces after you have spent years building recognition, the cheapest path is often a full rebrand — new packaging, signage, domains, and customer re-education. The cost of registering early is a rounding error next to the cost of rebuilding a brand from scratch.

Marketplace brand-gating locked

Amazon Brand Registry and similar programmes require a registered trademark. Without one you cannot gate your listings, control your buy box, or fast-track counterfeit takedowns — leaving your best-selling products exposed to hijackers who register the brand themselves.

Infringement with no statutory remedy

An unregistered mark leaves you with only a passing-off action — slow, evidence-heavy, and uncertain. A registered trademark gives you the statutory right to sue for infringement, with stronger, faster remedies. Without it, stopping a copycat is far harder and far more expensive.

Secure your brand now

HOW REGISTRATION WORKS

From name to ® — the full journey

Each step has its own deadlines and decision points. Here is exactly how a registration moves from search to certificate.

1
Comprehensive search
Step 1
We search the Registry and market sources for identical and deceptively similar marks — including phonetic and visual conflicts — so you file with a clear read on the Section 11 risk before spending a rupee on government fees.
2
Class strategy
Step 2
We map your actual and planned business to the 45 Nice classes and decide whether a single or multi-class application under Section 18(2) gives the right protection for the right cost.
3
TM-A drafted & filed
Step 3
Trademark experts draft and file Form TM-A with the correct applicant details, class specification and goods/services description. From this moment your ™ rights begin and your filing date is locked.
4
Examination
Step 4
The Registry examines the mark under Section 9 (absolute grounds) and Section 11 (relative grounds) — typically in 12 to 18 months, or about 30 days if you opt for expedited examination via Form TM-M.
5
Objection reply, if raised
Step 5
Around one in three applications draws an objection. We draft and file a ground-by-ground reply within the 30-day window, backed by evidence and precedent, to move the mark toward acceptance.
6
Journal publication & opposition window
Step 6
Once accepted, the mark is advertised in the Trade Marks Journal, opening a 4-month window in which any third party may oppose it on Form TM-O. We monitor this window and defend if needed.
7
Registration certificate (®)
Step 7
If unopposed — or once any opposition is resolved in your favour — the Registry grants the mark and issues the certificate. You can now use ®, and your protection runs 10 years, renewable forever.

CHOOSE YOUR SPEED

Standard vs Expedited examination

Both routes reach the same destination — the difference is how fast the examination report arrives, and what it costs. The 4-month opposition window is identical in both.

Factor	Standard	RecommendedExpedited
Examination timeline	12–18 months	~30 days
Extra government fee	Nil	₹20,000 / ₹40,000
Filed via	TM-A only	TM-A + TM-M (Rule 34)
Best for	No launch deadline, cost-sensitive	Funded startups, launch deadlines
Opposition window	4 months	4 months

← Scroll →

Not sure which structure fits your business? Our experts can recommend the right entity based on your goals, funding plans, and compliance preferences.

Talk to an expert

THE FULL TRADEMARK LIFECYCLE

Every stage of brand protection, handled

Registration is the start. We carry your mark through search, prosecution, and a lifetime of renewals, defence and monetisation.

Before You File

Trademark SearchA multi-dimensional search — phonetic, visual and common-law — to find conflicts before you file and avoid a Section 11 objection or a costly rebrand.

During Prosecution

Objection ReplyA drafted, evidence-backed reply to a Section 9 or Section 11 examination objection, filed within the 30-day window.Opposition ReplyCounter-statement and evidence to defend your mark when a third party opposes it after journal publication.

After Registration

Trademark RenewalKeep your mark alive with on-time 10-year renewals so protection never lapses.Trademark RectificationCorrect, amend or cancel register entries — yours or a wrongly registered conflicting mark.Trademark LicensingLicense or assign your mark for royalty income with properly drafted, registrable agreements.Infringement SupportCease-and-desist, takedowns and enforcement when someone trades on your registered name.

TRANSPARENT PRICING

Trademark registration pricing

Professional fees below; the government fee (₹4,500 per class) is billed separately and shown before you pay. Choose filing-only or full cover including the objection reply.

Filing Only

Search, class selection and TM-A filing for one class. Government fee ₹4,500 per class billed separately.

₹4,999 + govt fee

Comprehensive pre-filing search
Class selection across 45 classes
TM-A drafted and filed by experts
Use ™ from the filing date

Start filing

Popular

Complete with Objection Cover

Filing plus a drafted objection reply if the examiner raises one — the most common path to registration.

₹5,999 + govt fee

Everything in Filing Only
Examination report objection reply
Hearing representation if directed
Application tracked to certificate

Choose complete

DIY VS EXPERT FILING

Why how you file decides whether you're protected

The portal will accept almost any application. Whether it survives examination — and actually protects your brand — is a different question entirely.

Filing it yourself

Wrong class chosen, leaving your real products unprotected and the registration worthless where it matters.
Generic or descriptive marks filed blind, then objected under Section 9 with no strategy to overcome it.
No search done, so a Section 11 conflict only surfaces after you have paid fees and built goodwill.
Missed examination and opposition deadlines quietly turn into an abandoned application and a lost filing date.

Filing with ComplyLocal

Search-backed filing so you know the Section 11 risk before you spend on government fees.
Class strategy mapped to your actual and planned business across the 45 Nice classes.
Objection and opposition replies drafted by practitioners, with evidence and precedent.
Every deadline calendared from day one — examination, reply, journal and renewal — so nothing lapses.

File it right the first time

LOVED BY FOUNDERS

Brands that trusted us to protect their name

Real reviews from founders who registered and defended their trademarks with ComplyLocal.

Google

Customer Feedback

4.9· 200+ reviews

D
Divya Rao
Bengaluru
G
“Smooth trademark process and clear guidance on which classes to file in. They explained everything before filing.”
Trademark Registration
M
Meera Iyer
Chennai
G
“Our objection reply was drafted quickly and explained properly before filing. Very professional team.”
Trademark Objection
A
Arjun Reddy
Hyderabad
G
“Registered our D2C brand and got us marketplace brand registry ready. Worth every rupee.”
Trademark Registration
S
Sahil Khan
Mumbai
G
“They ran a proper search first and saved us from a name that would have been objected. Genuinely helpful.”
Trademark Search
N
Neha Joshi
Pune
G
“Expedited examination got our report in weeks, not months. Perfect for our launch timeline.”
Trademark Registration
M
Manish Gupta
Delhi
G
“Transparent pricing with government fees shown separately. No surprises, and a manager who picks up the phone.”
Trademark Registration

FAQ

Trademark Registration FAQs

Clear answers on cost, classes, timelines, ™ vs ®, objections, opposition, expedited examination, and renewals.

Fast answersExpert support

The government fee is ₹4,500 per class for individuals, startups and MSMEs, and ₹9,000 per class for companies and other applicants when filed electronically. Professional fees for search, class selection and drafting the TM-A application are separate, and our plans show both clearly before you commit.
Goods and services are divided into 45 classes under the Nice Classification — 34 for goods and 11 for services. Your trademark is protected only in the classes you register it in, so choosing the right class (or classes) for your actual and planned business is the single most important decision in the application.
An uncontested registration typically takes 6 to 18 months: examination usually takes 12 to 18 months (or about 30 days under expedited examination), followed by a 4-month journal publication window. If an objection or opposition arises, the timeline extends accordingly, but you can use ™ throughout.
The ™ symbol can be used from the day you file your application to signal that you claim rights in the mark. The ® symbol can only be used once the trademark is formally registered. Using ® before registration is itself an offence, so the two symbols mark two different stages of the same journey.
Yes. As soon as your TM-A application is filed and you have an application number, you can use the ™ symbol alongside your brand. It does not guarantee registration, but it puts the public and competitors on notice that you are claiming rights in the mark from your filing date.
Roughly one in three applications receives an objection from the examiner under Section 9 (absolute grounds, such as a descriptive mark) or Section 11 (relative grounds, such as a conflicting earlier mark). An objection is not a refusal — most are resolved at the written-reply stage, which must be filed within 30 days of the examination report.
After your mark is advertised in the Trade Marks Journal, any third party can oppose it within four months by filing Form TM-O. You then have two months to file a Counter-Statement. Opposition is an adversarial proceeding with evidence rounds and hearings, distinct from a Registry objection raised during examination.
Yes. Under Section 18(2) of the Trade Marks Act, a single TM-A application can cover multiple classes. The government fee, however, is charged per class, so a three-class application costs three times the per-class fee. A multi-class filing is convenient but does not reduce the per-class government cost.
A wordmark protects the brand name in any font or style, while a logo (device mark) protects the specific stylised design. Registering both gives the widest protection, because a wordmark alone does not cover your visual identity and a logo alone does not stop someone using the name in plain text.
A registered trademark is valid for 10 years from the date of filing and can be renewed indefinitely in further 10-year blocks. As long as you renew on time, your trademark protection never expires — making it one of the few business assets that can last as long as the brand itself.
Under Rule 34, you can request expedited examination by filing Form TM-M with a higher fee — ₹20,000 for individuals, startups and MSMEs, or ₹40,000 for companies. The examination report then issues in about 30 days instead of 12 to 18 months, which suits funded startups and brands working to a launch deadline.
Yes. Individuals, sole proprietors, startups, partnerships, LLPs and companies can all apply. Individuals, startups and MSMEs also pay the lower ₹4,500 per-class government fee, so you do not need a registered company to protect your brand name.
No, registration is not legally mandatory — you acquire some common-law rights simply by using a mark. But only a registered trademark gives you the statutory right to sue for infringement, license the mark, and treat it as a transferable asset, which is why serious brands register early.
Before the 10-year term ends, you file a renewal to extend protection for another 10 years. If you miss the deadline there is a grace period with a surcharge, and beyond that the mark can be removed from the register — so renewal tracking matters as much as the original filing.

RELATED SERVICES

Build the rest of your brand & business stack

Trademark

Licenses

Start a Business

Your brand is your most valuable asset. Paper it.

Search, class strategy, TM-A filing and objection replies — handled by a CA-led team so your name is protected the first time.

™ from day one · ® on registration · valid 10 years, renewable forever

Trademark Registration — Own Your Brand Name Before Someone Else Does

Protect your brand

Brands protected for founders across India

Govt fee per class

Nice classes

Validity

Usable from filing

What is trademark registration?

The brands that cannot afford to wait

D2C & e-commerce brands

Startups before funding

Manufacturers

Service businesses

Franchisors

Exporters

What you risk by waiting

Someone else files first

Rebranding after years of goodwill

Marketplace brand-gating locked

Infringement with no statutory remedy

From name to ® — the full journey

Comprehensive search

Class strategy

TM-A drafted & filed

Examination

Objection reply, if raised

Journal publication & opposition window

Registration certificate (®)

Standard vs Expedited examination

Every stage of brand protection, handled

Trademark registration pricing

Filing Only

Complete with Objection Cover

Why how you file decides whether you're protected

Filing it yourself

Filing with ComplyLocal

Brands that trusted us to protect their name

Trademark Registration FAQs

01How much does trademark registration cost in India?

02What are trademark classes?

03How long does trademark registration take?

04What is the difference between ™ and ®?

05Can I use ™ immediately after filing?

06What happens if my trademark is objected?

07What is a trademark opposition?

08Can one application cover multiple classes?

09Should I register my logo and wordmark separately?

10How long is a registered trademark valid?

11What is expedited examination?

12Can individuals file a trademark?

13Is trademark registration mandatory?

14What happens after 10 years?

Build the rest of your brand & business stack

Trademark

Licenses

Start a Business

Your brand is your most valuable asset. Paper it.

Trademark Registration FAQs

01How much does trademark registration cost in India?

02What are trademark classes?

03How long does trademark registration take?

04What is the difference between ™ and ®?

05Can I use ™ immediately after filing?

06What happens if my trademark is objected?

07What is a trademark opposition?

08Can one application cover multiple classes?

09Should I register my logo and wordmark separately?

10How long is a registered trademark valid?

11What is expedited examination?

12Can individuals file a trademark?

13Is trademark registration mandatory?

14What happens after 10 years?