The short version: registering a trademark in Gurgaon means searching the register, choosing the right class out of 45, e-filing Form TM-A with the Trade Marks Registry, and answering any examination objection. Filing takes 1–2 working days once documents are ready; full registration typically takes 8–18 months. Government fees start at ₹4,500 per class for individuals, startups and small enterprises (indicative, verify at ipindia.gov.in), plus a fixed professional fee quoted upfront.
Who actually needs a trademark?
If customers find you by name, a shop board on Sohna Road, a listing on Amazon, an app on the Play Store, a clinic on Google Maps, that name is an asset someone else can take. Registration converts your name, logo or tagline into property: the exclusive, renewable, enforceable right to use it for your goods and services across India. It is also the document e-commerce platforms ask for (Amazon Brand Registry needs at least a pending application), the asset investors check during diligence, and the basis on which you can stop copycats without proving years of reputation first.
Unregistered brands aren’t entirely defenceless, India recognises passing-off claims, but proving unregistered rights is slow, expensive and uncertain. A ₹4,500 government fee is dramatically cheaper than that lawsuit.
The registration process, stage by stage
Here is the whole journey, with realistic durations. The single most important thing to understand: your rights date back to the filing date, so the goal is to file a clean application early, everything after that is largely waiting and, if needed, defending.
- Trademark search. We check the register for identical and deceptively similar marks, wordmark, phonetic and device searches, plus a market scan (MCA records, domains, marketplaces). You get a written go/no-go opinion. 1–2 working days
- Class & specification. We pick the right class(es) from the 45 in the Nice Classification and draft the specification of goods/services, wide enough to cover your roadmap, precise enough to survive examination. Try our class finder to see where your business sits. Same day
- Filing Form TM-A. We e-file with the Trade Marks Registry under your applicant category, attach the user affidavit if you claim prior use, and share the acknowledgement with your application number. You can start using ™ immediately. 1 working day
- Formalities check. The Registry verifies signatures, the TM-48 power of attorney and translations. Clean filings pass without comment. 2–8 weeks
- Examination. An examiner searches the register and tests your mark against Sections 9 and 11 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999. Outcome: accepted, or an examination report raising objections, which requires a reasoned reply within 30 days. 1–6 months
- Journal publication. Accepted marks are advertised in the weekly Trade Marks Journal. Anyone may oppose within 4 months; the vast majority of applications pass through unopposed. 4-month window
- Registration & certificate. The mark enters the register, the digital certificate issues, and you may finally, legally, use ®. Valid 10 years from the filing date, renewable forever. Weeks after the window closes
Documents you’ll need
- The exact brand name, and/or the logo as an image file
- Applicant details, individual ID, or incorporation/partnership documents for entities
- Udyam (MSME) or Startup India certificate, if claiming the concessional government fee
- Signed Form TM-48 (power of attorney), we prepare it, you sign it
- If already in use: the date of first use, and an affidavit with evidence (invoices, packaging, screenshots)
What it costs
Two components, always shown separately:
| Ref | Applicant type | Govt fee |
|---|---|---|
| TM-A | Individual / startup (DPIIT-recognised) / small enterprise (Udyam) | ₹4,500 |
| TM-A | All other applicants (companies, LLPs, firms without MSME status) | ₹9,000 |
Indicative e-filing amounts under the Trade Marks Rules, 2017, fees are set by the Registry and subject to change; verify current amounts at ipindia.gov.in before filing.
Our professional fee is fixed and quoted in writing before we begin, it covers the search and opinion, class strategy, drafting, e-filing and status tracking through to certificate. Objection replies and oppositions, if they arise, are quoted separately so you never pre-pay for a fight you may not have. Full details on the fees page.
What can, and can’t, be registered
Registrable: coined words (“Zomato”), arbitrary words (“Apple” for phones), suggestive names, logos, taglines, letter-and-number combinations, and even shapes, sounds and colour combinations in the right circumstances. The two walls applications hit:
Section 9, absolute grounds. Marks that are descriptive (“Pure Ghee” for ghee), generic, laudatory (“Best”, “Super”), or customary in trade lack distinctiveness. The cure is either evidence of acquired distinctiveness through use, or, better, choosing a stronger name before you fall in love with a weak one.
Section 11, relative grounds. Marks identical or confusingly similar to earlier marks for similar goods. This is exactly what a proper pre-filing search is designed to catch. If cited anyway, a reasoned reply distinguishing the goods, channels and overall impression resolves many of these, see our guide to objection replies.
Why do this with a local team in Gurgaon?
E-filing works from anywhere, what a local practice adds is everything around the form: sitting across a table to get your class strategy right, collecting signatures the same day, and being reachable on a Gurgaon number when the status changes. Our office is at Cedar Drive - 26, FF, Malibu Towne, Sohna Road, Gurgaon - 122018, and we work with businesses across Cyber City, Udyog Vihar, Golf Course Road, IMT Manesar and the rest of Delhi-NCR, and, through e-filing, all of India.