Trademark registration fees in India, explained

For e-filing, the government fee per class per mark is:

• ₹4,500 for individuals, sole proprietors, startups recognised by DPIIT, and small enterprises registered under Udyam.
• ₹9,000 for everyone else — companies, LLPs and partnerships that do not qualify as small enterprises.

Physical filing costs ₹500 more per class in each case, and is slower. There is no reason to file physically.

The reduced rate is not automatic. You must hold and produce the Udyam or DPIIT certificate at the time of filing. A company that could have registered under Udyam first, and did not, simply pays double.

India follows the Nice Classification, which divides goods and services into 45 classes — 1 to 34 for goods, 35 to 45 for services. Protection exists only in the classes you file in.

A company selling a packaged food product online might need Class 30 for the food itself and Class 35 for retail services. That is two classes, so two fees. A wordmark and a logo filed separately are two marks, so the fee doubles again.

Filing broadly “to be safe” is expensive and can itself invite objections and non-use challenges. Most businesses genuinely need one or two classes.

Objections and oppositions are separate. Roughly speaking, expect an examination report on a meaningful share of applications, and budget for a reply.

A registration lasts ten years from the date of application and renews indefinitely. Renewal costs ₹9,000 per class for e-filing — and the ₹4,500 concession does not apply. It is available only on the initial application.

Renewal can be filed up to a year before expiry at no extra cost, and within six months after expiry with a surcharge. After that the mark is liable to removal.

Startups recognised under DPIIT get more than the reduced fee. The Startup India IPR facilitation scheme provides an 80% rebate on patent fees and 50% on trademarks, with government-empanelled facilitators handling the drafting at government cost.

Since DPIIT recognition itself is free, a startup that files its trademark before obtaining recognition is leaving money on the table for no reason. Do the recognition first.