# Register a trademark in India > Search, file Form TM-A in the right class, get the ™ from day one, answer the examination report, survive publication, and receive the ® — 18–24 months if unopposed. - **Section:** Life admin · **Region:** India · **Difficulty:** medium - **Time:** Filing 1 day · examination queue ~12–14 months · registration 18–24 months if unopposed - **Cost:** ₹4,500 per class online for individuals, startups and small enterprises · ₹9,000 for others · expedited examination ₹20,000/₹40,000 - **You end up with:** A registered trademark (®) valid 10 years, renewable indefinitely - **Last reviewed:** 2026-09-05 · **Canonical:** https://for.do/p/india-trademark/ ## Before you start - The mark as a word, logo file (JPEG) or both, and the goods/services it covers - A DSC if filing yourself online, or an agent/attorney who files on your behalf - Startup (DPIIT) or MSME (Udyam) certificate if claiming the reduced fee Trademark registration in India is a long, mostly waiting process with three moments where your action decides the outcome: the search and class choice before filing, the reply to the examination report a year later, and the opposition window after publication. Do the first well and the other two are usually formalities. ## 1. Search before you fall in love with the name - [ ] Run the public search on IP India (wordmark, phonetic and device search) in every class you will use. - [ ] Check the MCA company names and the domain/social handles for the same reasons. - [ ] If a similar mark exists in your class, change the name now; it is cheaper than a year lost at examination. ## 2. Pick the classes - [ ] Map your goods and services to the Nice classification (45 classes); goods and services are separate classes. - [ ] File in every class you actively use or will use within a couple of years; fees are per class. ## 3. Prepare the application - [ ] Applicant details (individual, company, LLP), the mark (word, or JPEG logo), the class and the exact goods/services description. - [ ] Startup (DPIIT) or MSME (Udyam) certificate to claim the ₹4,500 fee; otherwise ₹9,000 per class. - [ ] A user affidavit if you claim use from a date before filing. ## 4. File Form TM-A online - [ ] File on the IP India e-filing portal with a DSC, or through a registered agent/attorney. - [ ] Pay the fee; the application number arrives immediately and you can use ™ from this date. - [ ] Consider Form TM-M for expedited examination if a launch or investor needs the registration quickly. ## 5. Examination and reply - [ ] The Registry's examination report arrives after roughly 12–14 months (weeks if expedited); it either accepts or raises objections (absolute grounds, or a conflicting mark). - [ ] Reply within one month with arguments and evidence; attend the show-cause hearing if listed. ## 6. Publication and opposition - [ ] On acceptance the mark is advertised in the Trade Marks Journal; anyone may oppose within four months. - [ ] If opposed, file a counter-statement within two months; evidence rounds and a hearing follow. ## 7. Registration and maintenance - [ ] With no opposition, the registration certificate issues and the mark becomes ® — valid ten years from filing. - [ ] Set a renewal reminder for Form TM-R before the ten-year mark; use the mark, because non-use for five years invites cancellation. ## Where people get this wrong - Filing in one class when you sell in two. Protection is per Nice class; software (class 9) and SaaS services (class 42) are different classes, and so are goods and their retail. - Skipping the search. A conflicting mark surfaces at examination a year later; a ₹0 search on IP India's public search finds most conflicts in ten minutes. - Missing the examination reply deadline. The reply to the examination report is due within one month of receiving it; no reply means the application is abandoned. - Using ® before registration. The ™ symbol is fine from filing; ® is only lawful after the registration certificate issues. ## Questions **How long does it take?** Examination reports are currently issued roughly 12–14 months after filing; if there is no objection or opposition, registration follows at about 18–24 months. Contested applications run longer. **Can it be faster?** Expedited examination under Rule 34 (Form TM-M) costs ₹20,000 per class for individuals, startups and small enterprises (₹40,000 others) and pulls examination forward to weeks. **How long is registration valid?** Ten years from the filing date, renewable every ten years with Form TM-R. ## Tools used - [IP India — Trade Marks e-filing](https://find.do/t/ip-india-trademarks/) (official) — File Form TM-A, track examination and reply to reports. - [IP India public trademark search](https://find.do/t/ip-india-public-search/) (official) — Wordmark, phonetic and device search across the Indian register. ## Sources - [IP India — Trade Marks (official e-filing)](https://ipindia.gov.in/trade-marks.htm) - [Intepat — Trademark registration process in India: 5 steps (2026)](https://www.intepat.com/blog/trademark-registration-process-india) - [Cashfree — How to register a trademark in India (2026): fees, process, timeline](https://www.cashfree.com/blog/trademark-registration-india/)