Trademark Renewal in India 2026

Every ten years, an Indian business confronts the same quiet urgency: the trademark that protects its brand name, logo, or service mark is approaching expiration. Under Section 25 of the Trade Marks Act 1999, a registered trademark ceases to be enforceable the moment its validity period lapses. From that date, any competitor can adopt an identical or deceptively similar mark with full legal immunity. For businesses built on brand equity, this is not a compliance formality, it is an existential risk. The Registrar of Trade Marks, operating under the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (CGPDTM), administers the renewal process through Form TM-12 filed on the IP India portal (ipindia.gov.in). KAMRIT Financial Services LLP manages the entire renewal lifecycle for you: from verifying the current registration status and expiration date on the public trademark database, to preparing and e-filing Form TM-12 with the correct government fee per class of goods or services, to tracking the Registrar's processing and delivering the updated registration certificate. Our service is designed for companies that have more than a filing to manage, and cannot afford brand exposure caused by a missed renewal date.

What is Trademark Renewal in India 2026?

Trademark renewal is the statutory process by which a registered trademark owner restores and extends the validity of a trademark registration for another ten-year cycle under the Trade Marks Act 1999. Section 25(1) of the Act provides that a registered trademark shall remain in force for an initial period of ten years from the date of filing, and may be renewed from time to time for successive periods of ten years each upon application in the prescribed manner. Section 25(2) obligates the Registrar to send an advance notice to the registered proprietor at least one year before expiration. The renewal application is filed in Form TM-12 under Rule 55 of the Trade Marks Rules 2017. If filed within one year before expiry, the standard renewal fee applies. If filed within six months after expiry but before removal from the register, the same fee plus an additional late renewal fee applies under Rule 63. Once the mark is removed from the register, restoration becomes a separate and more expensive proceeding under Rule 60 to 62, requiring a fresh application, public advertisement, and a further delay of several months. The renewal right exists for goods and services classified under the Fourth Schedule to the Trade Marks Rules 2017, which mirrors the 45-class Nice Classification system used internationally.

Who needs this

Any registered proprietor of a valid Indian trademark, whether an individual, partnership, LLP, company, or trust, may file for renewal, provided the mark has not yet been removed from the register. Sole proprietors, startups registered with DPIIT, and small enterprises classified under the MSMED Act 2006 qualify for reduced government fees.

• The trademark must be currently registered under the Trade Marks Act 1999 with a valid registration certificate issued by the CGPDTM.
• The trademark must not have been removed from the Register of Trade Marks prior to the filing of the renewal application.
• The registered proprietor named in Form TM-12 must match exactly the name on the current registration record, discrepancies require a separate change-of-name or assignment filing.
• Individual proprietors and DPIIT-recognised startups qualify for the reduced government fee of ₹4,500 per class under Form TM-12 (e-filing).
• Companies, LLPs, firms, and other legal entities pay ₹9,000 per class for the same e-filing Form TM-12.
• The renewal application must cover each class of goods or services separately; multi-class registrations require separate fees per class.
• If the renewal is filed within the six-month grace period after expiry, an additional late renewal fee equal to the standard fee applies per class.
• If the mark has already been removed from the register, a separate Form TM-13 restoration and renewal application under Rule 60 to 62 is required, renewal alone is insufficient.
• The proprietor must not have surrendered the registration or had it invalidated by a court or the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) prior to the renewal date.

Documents required

The document requirements for Form TM-12 are minimal compared to a fresh application, but accuracy in the filed details is critical, discrepancies between the form and the registration record can trigger objections or require additional filings.

• Original or certified copy of the current Trademark Registration Certificate issued by the CGPDTM.
• Form TM-12 duly filled and signed by the registered proprietor or an authorised agent holding a valid Power of Attorney.
• Identity proof of the signatory: PAN Card, Aadhaar Card, or Passport for individual proprietors.
• Address proof of the registered proprietor: utility bill, bank statement, or rent agreement not older than two months.
• DPIIT Startup Recognition Certificate if the proprietor claims startup fee concession under Rule 55(1)(b) of the Trade Marks Rules 2017.
• Board resolution or partnership authorisation resolution for companies and LLPs respectively, authorising the filing of the renewal application.
• Original Power of Attorney executed on stamp paper (₹100 stamp duty) if the filing is done through a registered trademark agent or advocate.
• Details of the trademark registration number, original filing date, and the class or classes for which renewal is sought.
• Udyam Registration Certificate or MSME Certificate if claiming micro or small enterprise fee benefit.
• Proof of payment of the government fee through the IP India e-filing portal or through treasury challan under the relevant head of account.

How KAMRIT runs it, step by step

The trademark renewal process is entirely digitised on the IP India portal. KAMRIT manages every stage from initial verification to final certificate issuance, ensuring no step is missed within the statutory window.

1. Trademark Status and Expiry Verification. KAMRIT begins by conducting a detailed search on the IP India public trademark search portal (ipindia.gov.in) using the registration number and proprietor name. We confirm the exact expiry date of the trademark, the classes covered, and whether the mark remains on the active register or is in the process of being removed. This determines whether a straightforward Form TM-12 renewal or a combined Form TM-13 restoration and renewal is required. This verification stage takes 1 working day.
2. Document Collection and Compliance Check. We send the proprietor a document checklist and collect all required documents. KAMRIT reviews each document for accuracy, verifies that the proprietor name on the registration record matches the current legal entity name, and identifies any discrepancies that must be corrected before filing. If a change-of-name or assignment is pending, we flag this and advise on the sequencing of filings. This stage takes 1 to 2 working days depending on document readiness.
3. Form TM-12 Preparation and Government Fee Payment. KAMRIT prepares Form TM-12 on the IP India e-filing portal. The form requires the registration number, the classes for which renewal is sought, and the applicable government fee. For individuals and DPIIT-recognised startups, the fee is ₹4,500 per class; for companies, LLPs, and other entities it is ₹9,000 per class. We process the government fee payment through the online gateway and retain the payment receipt as part of the filing record. This stage takes 1 working day.
4. Online Filing and Acknowledgment. The completed Form TM-12 is submitted electronically on the IP India portal. The system generates an e-filing receipt with a unique Diary Number and filing timestamp. KAMRIT downloads and stores this receipt and communicates the filing confirmation and diary number to the client immediately. The filing date is critical, it must be on or before the expiry date to avoid the grace period late fee.
5. Registrar Examination and Processing. The Registrar of Trade Marks examines the renewal application to verify that the registration is valid and the fee has been correctly computed. No formal hearing is typically required for routine renewals. The Registrar updates the Register of Trade Marks to reflect the renewed validity period of ten years from the original expiry date. This stage is regulator-controlled and typically takes 15 to 30 working days from the date of filing.
6. Renewal Certificate Issuance. Upon successful processing, the Registrar updates the trademark record and issues an updated registration certificate reflecting the new expiry date and the renewed validity period. KAMRIT downloads the certificate from the portal, verifies the details, and delivers the digitally signed certificate to the client along with a summary of the renewed classes and next renewal due date. This stage takes 2 to 5 working days after the Registrar's approval.

Timeline

From the date KAMRIT receives complete documents, the typical end-to-end timeline for a standard Form TM-12 renewal is 25 to 45 working days. KAMRIT-controlled stages, verification, document preparation, fee payment, and e-filing, account for 3 to 5 working days. The Registrar's processing and certificate issuance, which is outside KAMRIT's direct control, accounts for the remaining 15 to 30 working days. If the trademark has already entered the six-month grace period, no additional time is added to the process, though the government fee doubles per class. If the mark has been removed from the register and a combined Form TM-13 restoration and renewal is required, the timeline extends significantly, restoration proceedings require a public advertisement and a potential opposition window of four months, making the total timeline 4 to 6 months. The one-year advance notice sent by the CGPDTM under Section 25(2) is the most reliable trigger for KAMRIT to initiate the renewal process on your behalf before any grace period fees or removal risks arise. For multi-class renewals, processing by the Registrar is generally simultaneous across all classes.

How our pricing compares

KAMRIT's Trademark Renewal service starts at ₹3,899 for the filing assistance and process management fee, excluding the mandatory government fee of ₹4,500 per class (individuals and DPIIT startups) or ₹9,000 per class (companies and LLPs) under Rule 55 of the Trade Marks Rules 2017. Our fee covers document verification, Form TM-12 preparation and e-filing, government fee payment, and certificate delivery. IndiaFilings offers a comparable service starting at ₹2,999 plus government fees for the same service bundle, with a standard turnaround of 20 to 30 working days. Vakilsearch prices its trademark renewal service at ₹3,499 plus government fees with similar timelines. ClearTax quotes ₹3,299 for a digital filing assistance package, though their renewal service is bundled within a broader IP compliance subscription. LegalRaasta offers renewals starting at ₹2,499 plus government fees, positioning itself at the lower end of the market. KAMRIT's price premium over LegalRaasta and IndiaFilings is justified by dedicated relationship management, a single point of contact throughout the filing, proactive monitoring of the Registrar's status updates, and a clear written advisory on the next renewal date scheduled a full year in advance. Competitors at the lower price point typically offer form-filling assistance without ongoing monitoring, which means the responsibility for tracking the next renewal date reverts entirely to the client.

Common mistakes KAMRIT avoids

Trademark renewal is a low-complexity filing relative to new registration, but the consequences of procedural errors are severe. The most common failures we observe are not from deliberate non-compliance but from a misunderstanding of the statutory triggers and filing mechanics.

• Filing the renewal after the mark has been removed from the register, which converts a simple Form TM-12 into a costly and time-consuming Form TM-13 restoration proceeding that can take 4 to 6 months.
• Paying the wrong government fee, individual and startup fees are approximately half of the standard entity fee, and the difference cannot be adjusted after filing without a fresh application.
• Submitting Form TM-12 for only some classes of a multi-class registration while inadvertently allowing other classes to lapse, creating fragmented protection.
• Incorrect proprietor name on the form, a single spelling discrepancy between the form and the registration record triggers a deficiency query from the Registrar, resetting the processing timeline.
• Relying on the CGPDTM's advance notice as the sole reminder, notices are sent by post or email and can be delayed, lost, or misdirected, especially for older registrations.
• Failing to file within the six-month grace period after expiry, marks removed from the register require restoration proceedings with no guaranteed approval, and the original mark becomes vulnerable to adoption by competitors during the gap period.
• Ignoring changes in business structure, a company that has undergone a conversion from private limited to LLP or a change in name due to a merger must file a separate change-of-proprietorship before attempting renewal, as the old name will not match.