Trademark Registration Fees in India 2026: Full Cost Breakdown

A single-class trademark application filed online in India carries a government fee of Rs 4,500 for individuals, startups and small enterprises, or Rs 9,000 for other applicants such as most companies and LLPs. That figure is only the starting point. The full trademark registration cost in India also includes professional fees for search, drafting, filing and prosecution, plus any expense triggered by an objection or opposition along the way.

Key Takeaways

• Government fee is Rs 4,500 per class for individuals, DPIIT-recognised startups and small enterprises filing through the IP India e-filing portal; it doubles to Rs 9,000 per class for other applicants.
• Physical (paper) filing costs Rs 500 more per class than the online fee, which is one reason most applications are now filed electronically.
• Professional fees are separate from government fees and vary depending on whether the engagement covers only filing or extends to examination replies, hearings and opposition defence.
• DPIIT-recognised startups and Udyam-registered small enterprises qualify for the individual rate, provided the recognition certificate is submitted with the application.
• Renewal every 10 years carries its own government fee, structured similarly to the original filing fee, and missing the deadline adds a restoration cost.

At a Glance: Trademark Registration Cost in India (2026)

This breakdown is meant to help founders, brand owners and finance teams plan a realistic budget before they approach a trademark attorney or file directly. It draws on the government fee schedule published by the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM), the body that administers trademark registration under the Trade Marks Act, 1999. Nothing here is legal advice on a specific matter; it is general information about how costs are structured.

1. Government Fees by Applicant Type

The Trade Marks Registry charges its official fee per class, per mark, not per application. If a business wants to protect one brand name across three classes of goods or services, the government fee is multiplied by three, regardless of applicant category.

The fee schedule recognises two broad applicant categories:

• Rs 4,500 per class for an individual, a startup recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), or a small enterprise registered under the Udyam framework.
• Rs 9,000 per class for any other applicant, which in practice covers most private limited companies, LLPs and partnerships that do not hold DPIIT or Udyam status.

Two documentation points matter here. A company is not automatically treated as a "startup" just because it is young or small. It needs an active DPIIT recognition certificate, issued through the Startup India portal, or a valid Udyam registration certificate confirming small enterprise status. Without that proof attached to the application, the Registry will charge the higher slab even if the applicant would otherwise qualify. Readers building a startup brand from the ground up may find it useful to read a related article on how to register a trademark for startups in India, which covers the recognition process in more detail.

The second point is filing mode. E-filing through the IP India portal is the default route and the cheaper one. Paper filing at a Trade Marks Registry counter costs an additional Rs 500 per class over the e-filing fee, which is one reason most applicants, and most attorneys, file electronically as a matter of course.

2. Professional and Attorney Fees

Government fees are fixed and published. Professional fees are not, and this is where most of the variation in "total cost" actually comes from. A trademark filing engagement typically covers some combination of the following:

• Trademark search and opinion: checking the Registry's database and common-law use for conflicting marks before filing, so the applicant understands the risk of objection or opposition upfront.
• Classification advice: identifying the correct class or classes under the NICE Classification system, since filing in the wrong class can mean starting over.
• Drafting and filing: preparing the application, the power of attorney (Form TM-48), and supporting statements, then submitting through the e-filing portal.
• Prosecution: responding to an examination report if the Registrar raises an objection, and appearing at a show-cause hearing if one is scheduled.
• Opposition defence: if a third party opposes the mark after it is advertised in the Trade Marks Journal, defending that opposition is a separate, more involved piece of work with its own fee structure.

Some engagements are billed as a flat fee per class covering search through to registration in an uncontested scenario, with objection replies and opposition work quoted separately if they arise. Others are billed by milestone, with a fee at filing and further fees only if the matter proceeds to examination response or hearing. Neither approach is inherently better; the right structure depends on how much cost certainty the applicant wants upfront versus how much they are prepared to pay only if problems arise.

It is worth noting that professional fees for a straightforward word-mark filing and a stylised logo (device mark) filing are usually comparable, since the drafting and search work is similar. The government fee itself does not differentiate between a word mark and a device mark.

3. Total Cost From Filing to Registration

Put together, the total trademark registration cost in India for a single class, uncontested application looks like this: the government fee (Rs 4,500 or Rs 9,000, depending on applicant category) plus the professional fee agreed with the attorney or firm handling the matter. For a business filing in three classes, the government fee alone would be Rs 13,500 (individual/startup category) or Rs 27,000 (standard category), before professional fees are added.

Timeline affects cost planning as much as the fee itself. A trademark application in India that faces no objection and no opposition can register in roughly 8 to 18 months from filing, though actual timelines vary with Registry workload and the specific Trade Marks Registry office handling the matter. If an examination report is issued, and a large share of applications do receive one, responding adds professional fee time but not additional government fee in most cases. If the mark is opposed after advertisement, that is a separate proceeding with its own professional fees, potentially extending the timeline by a year or more. A detailed walkthrough of the trademark registration process and step-by-step timeline covers each of these stages in sequence.

Multi-class and multi-mark portfolios scale in a predictable, linear way on the government fee side; three classes cost three times the per-class fee. Professional fees sometimes scale differently, since firms may offer a marginally lower per-class rate for bundled multi-class filings compared to filing each class as a separate standalone matter, though this depends entirely on how the specific engagement is scoped.

4. Hidden and Contingent Costs to Budget For

Several cost items only arise if something in the process does not go smoothly. Budgeting for them upfront avoids surprises later.

• Examination report response: if the Registrar objects on grounds such as descriptiveness or similarity to an existing mark, a formal reply is required within the prescribed period. This does not usually attract an additional government fee but does involve additional professional time.
• Show-cause hearing: if the written reply does not resolve the objection, the Registry may list the matter for a hearing, adding further professional fees and time.
• Opposition proceedings: a third party can oppose a published mark within the statutory window. Defending an opposition, filing a counter-statement, evidence and eventually arguing the matter, is billed separately from the original filing engagement.
• Rectification or cancellation actions: disputes that arise after registration, whether the applicant is defending its own mark or challenging someone else's, sit outside the standard filing cost entirely.
• Renewal every 10 years: a granted trademark is not permanent by default. It must be renewed every 10 years, and the renewal fee follows a similar applicant-category structure to the original filing fee. Missing the renewal deadline triggers a restoration fee, which is higher than a straightforward renewal.
• Monitoring and enforcement: registration itself does not stop infringement. Watching the Trade Marks Journal for conflicting applications and acting on infringement, sending a cease-and-desist or pursuing court action, is an ongoing cost separate from registration.

Founders who have gone through an opposition unprepared often describe it as the point where the "real" cost of trademark protection became clear. Planning for at least the possibility of an objection or opposition, even if it does not materialise, is a more realistic way to budget than assuming every filing will sail through unopposed.

5. Individual vs Startup vs Company: A Cost Comparison

Applicant category is the single biggest lever on government fee, so it is worth comparing directly.

A DPIIT-recognised startup and a Udyam-registered small enterprise both pay the same government fee as an individual applicant, but the eligibility route differs. A startup's recognition depends on Startup India criteria around incorporation age and turnover thresholds; a small enterprise's Udyam status depends on investment and turnover criteria under the MSME framework. A growing company can outgrow both categories and move into the standard fee slab at the time of a later filing or renewal, which is worth checking before assuming the lower fee category will always apply. We have covered the DPIIT fee-category mechanics in a separate, more detailed post for readers who want to confirm their eligibility before filing.

6. How to Budget for Multi-Class or Pan-India Portfolios

Many businesses need protection in more than one class from the outset. A food brand might need coverage for the product itself, packaging materials, and related retail services; a software company might need coverage for the software class and for related business services. Each additional class adds a full government fee, and the professional fee usually reflects the added drafting and classification work, even when a firm offers a modestly reduced bundled rate.

Businesses operating across Indian states, or NRIs managing a brand with Indian operations from abroad, face an additional coordination question rather than a different fee structure: the Trade Marks Registry itself is centralised online, but disputes, oppositions or enforcement matters can end up before different High Courts or Commercial Courts depending on where infringement occurs. Coordinating that through a single point of contact, rather than separate law firms in each city, is one reason some businesses prefer a retainer or outsourced general counsel arrangement over ad hoc filings, particularly once a brand's portfolio grows beyond one or two classes. NRIs handling a trademark matter alongside other Indian legal affairs may also find a guide on what to prepare before an NRI virtual consultation useful for getting a filing conversation off to an efficient start.

For a business that only needs a single filing handled correctly, without any ongoing commitment, a standalone engagement makes more sense than a retainer. A related article on one-time contract review without a retainer outlines how that kind of standalone engagement is typically scoped, a comparable logic applies to a single trademark filing.

Founders protecting more than just a brand name, such as an original logo, a packaging design, or creative content tied to the brand, should also budget for adjacent IP costs. A distinctive logo may warrant separate consideration under design law; original written or artistic brand material may be worth registering for copyright. Guides on registering a design for products in India and registering copyright for creative work walk through those parallel costs. Fashion brands in particular tend to need more than a single trademark filing to cover their full IP footprint, a point explored further in our guide to trademark protection for fashion brands.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the government fee refundable if the application is refused or opposed?

The government fee paid at the time of filing is generally not refunded if the application is later refused, abandoned, or opposed, since it covers the Registry's examination and processing of the application, not a successful outcome. This is a general position under the fee rules; applicants with a specific refusal or opposition scenario should get case-specific advice.

Does the fee differ for a word mark versus a logo?

No. The government fee structure is the same whether the application is for a plain word mark or a stylised logo (device mark). Professional fees for drafting and search are usually comparable between the two as well, though a logo mark can sometimes involve additional classification or distinctiveness considerations during examination.

Can a foreign applicant or NRI pay the individual applicant fee?

An individual applicant, regardless of nationality or residency, generally falls under the same fee category as any other individual, provided the application is filed as an individual and not through a foreign company structure. Applicants filing through a foreign company would fall under the standard fee slab. NRIs should confirm their specific filing structure before assuming the lower fee category applies.

How much does trademark renewal cost after 10 years?

Renewal follows a fee structure similar in principle to the original filing fee, varying by applicant category, and is due before the 10-year registration period expires. Missing the deadline does not immediately cancel the mark but does trigger a restoration process with its own additional fee, so calendaring the renewal date is worth doing from the day registration is granted.

Is GST charged on professional fees?

Professional fees charged by a law firm or attorney for trademark filing and prosecution services are generally subject to GST at the applicable rate, separate from the government fee paid to the Trade Marks Registry, which is a statutory fee and not a taxable supply. Applicants should confirm the exact treatment with their engaged professional or firm at the time of billing.

Riva Legal Associates is an intellectual property practice at Jagatpura, Jaipur, Rajasthan, led by Richa Vaishnav, advocate. The areas of practice handled by the firm are listed on its practice areas page.

The Bar Council of India does not permit advertisement or solicitation by advocates in any form or manner. This article is published for general informational purposes only, at the reader's own request, and should not be interpreted as soliciting or advertisement. It does not constitute legal advice, and reading it does not create a lawyer-client relationship. Readers must in all cases seek independent legal advice on their own facts. Statutory fees, forms and timelines change; verify current requirements with the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks before acting. See the firm's full disclaimer.

This content is published for general information only. It is not legal advice, an advertisement, or a solicitation of work, and reading it does not create an advocate-client relationship. In keeping with the Bar Council of India Rules, Riva Legal Associates does not solicit work or advertise.