We plan to bring eChai across 100 cities in India. It starts with eChai Startup Demo Day on 26 September, all in person. 11 cities confirmed, 304 founders registered. Any city that reaches 20 interested founders is on too. See your city
Brand, web & content

How do I check if a name is legally free to use in India (trademark)?

Before you fall in love with a name, do a quick free knockout search on the Indian trademark registry (IP India public search) in your class, plus a plain Google and MCA company-name check. Descriptive names get rejected under the Trade Marks Act, coined or arbitrary names are far safer to own. Grab the domain and handles the same day.

Go deeper

2 resources, 1 link-checked.

📄 Article
✓ Link checked Free Beginner

A structured, practical walkthrough from a reputable product team covering name types, domain checks, and trademark basics in one place.

How to come up with a brand name: the ultimate guide

From Webflow Blog by Webflow Team 12 min read

  • Understand descriptive vs invented vs evocative name types and their trade-offs
  • Check domain and social handle availability before committing
  • Run a trademark knockout search early to avoid legal dead-ends
Open webflow.com →
🛠️ Tool
India Free Intermediate

The official Indian government registry to run a free trademark knockout search before you commit to a name, the primary source, not a reseller.

Public Trademark Search, IP India

From Government of India (ipindia.gov.in) by Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks Tool

  • Search your proposed name within the relevant trademark class
  • Descriptive names often get refused under the Trade Marks Act, 1999
  • Coined or arbitrary names are far easier to register and defend
Open ipindiaonline.gov.in →

Terms in this answer

Intellectual Property

People also ask

How do I come up with a good name for my startup? 3 → Do I really need a .com domain, or is .io / .co / .in fine? 2 → What kinds of startup names exist and which type should I pick? 2 → How do famous startups actually get their names, any real examples? 2 → Should I buy a premium domain or just use a cheaper workaround? 2 → How do I check if a startup name is already taken before I fall in love with it? 3 →

Also in D2C

The same ground, over in Build your online store, our D2C track.

Which AI tool should I use to shoot clean product photos without renting a studio? 4 → Which Shopify theme should I pick for my store, and how much should I customize it? 3 →

Also in How Founders Use AI

How founders actually use AI for this, over in Content Creation.

Why use AI for blogs, newsletters, and social posts, and how do I avoid sounding like AI? 20 → How do top founders build content engines with AI (repurposing one idea into ten formats)? 18 →

Also in GTM

The same ground, over in Own the story, our GTM track.

What does category actually mean in go-to-market, and why does everyone keep telling me to pick one? 3 → Should we create a new category or just say we are a better version of something that already exists? 5 →
eChai Partner Brands