Real-World Scenarios & Access

How do I check if my brand name is free, and how do I trademark it in India?

A starting point

Before you print a single business card, run your name through the free IP India public trademark search to see if it's already claimed in your class. If it's clear, file online through IP India, and if you're DPIIT-recognised, you get a 50% rebate on the government fee plus a facilitator who does the paperwork. Register in the classes that match what you actually sell, not every class under the sun.

Go deeper

Read

📄 Article
India Free Intermediate

Startup India, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Benefits & SIPP Scheme

From Government of India (startupindia.gov.in) by DPIIT / Startup India ~10 min read

Why we picked it

The official explainer of the concrete money DPIIT-recognised startups get on IP, an 80% patent-fee rebate, 50% trademark-fee rebate, and government-paid facilitators. This is the single best reason to get DPIIT recognition early if you'll file anything, and it comes straight from the source, not a paid-service blog.

  • DPIIT-recognised startups get an 80% rebate on patent filing fees and 50% on trademark filing fees.
  • Under SIPP, the government bears the facilitator's professional fees, you pay only statutory charges.
  • Fast-track patent examination lets startups realise the value of their IP far sooner.
  • Recognition is the gate to all of it, register on the Startup India portal before filing.
Open startupindia.gov.in →

Use

🛠️ Tool
India Free Intermediate

IP India Public Trademark Search

From Government of India (tmrsearch.ipindia.gov.in) by Trade Marks Registry, CGPDTM tool

Why we picked it

The free, official first step before you commit to any brand name, logo, or domain. Ten minutes here can save you a rebrand, it tells you whether your name is already registered or applied-for in your class, which is exactly the check most founders skip.

  • Search existing and pending trademarks by word mark, class, and Vienna code before you launch a brand.
  • Trademark protection is class-specific, check the classes that match what you actually sell.
  • A registered or similar prior mark in your class is a reason to change the name now, not after launch.
  • Includes a newer AI-based search option for finding phonetically and visually similar marks.
Open tmrsearch.ipindia.gov.in →

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