Trademark Renewal in India: Deadlines and Costs

A trademark registration in India lasts 10 years from the date of filing, and it can be renewed for as long as you keep using the brand. Renew on time and your rights carry on without a gap. If the date passes, the trademark eventually comes off the register, and someone else can then apply for the name.

This guide covers renewal under Section 25 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999: when the window opens, how to file Form TM-R, what the grace period gives you, and how restoration works if a trademark has already been removed.

Before you renew: check whether any conflicting trademarks have been filed since your last renewal with our free trademark check.

Related: How to Register a Trademark in India: Complete 2026 Guide and our India country guide.

How Long an Indian Trademark Lasts

Under Section 25(1) of the TMA 1999, a registration is valid for 10 years from the date of application. That is worth reading twice, because the clock starts at the filing date, not the registration date.

For example:

• Filing date: March 15, 2016
• Registration date: November 8, 2018
• Expiration date: March 15, 2026 (10 years from filing)
• Renewal due by: March 15, 2026

Each renewal adds another 10 years, and there is no cap on how many times you can renew. A trademark can stay protected indefinitely as long as the renewals keep coming.

When You Can Renew

The Trade Marks Registry sends a renewal reminder to the registered owner before expiry, but the responsibility for the date sits with you, not the Registry. Reminders go to the address on the register, so an out-of-date address is the most common reason an owner never sees one.

The Renewal Window

Under Rule 57 of the Trade Marks Rules, 2017, you can file:

• Any time in the year before expiry. The window opens one year out, so there is no reason to leave it late.
• On or before the expiration date. Standard renewal.
• Within 6 months after expiry. Late renewal, with a surcharge on top of the renewal fee.

If nothing is filed by the end of that six-month grace period, the trademark is advertised for removal and then removed. Restoration is possible after that, but it is a slower and more expensive path than simply renewing.

How to Renew a Trademark in India

Renewal is filed on Form TM-R through the IP India online portal at ipindiaonline.gov.in.

Steps:

1. Log in to the IP India e-filing portal
2. Select Form TM-R (Application for Renewal)
3. Enter the trademark registration number
4. Check the trademark details and owner information
5. Pay the prescribed renewal fee
6. Submit the application

What You Need:

• Form TM-R, completed online
• Power of attorney, if an agent files for you
• Payment receipt

No evidence of use is required. Unlike the United States, India does not ask you to prove the trademark is in use as a condition of renewal.

What Renewal Costs

The government renewal fee under the Trade Marks Rules, 2017 is charged per class, so a registration covering three classes costs three times a single-class renewal. Filing late adds a surcharge on top of the renewal fee, and restoring a removed trademark adds a further fee again. Physical filing costs more than e-filing.

One point that trips people up: the reduced ₹4,500 per class rate for individuals, startups, and small enterprises applies to new applications, not to renewals. If you renewed on the basis of a startup concession you may find the amount short.

For the current government fee plus our fixed professional fee in one figure, see our trademark renewal page or our pricing page. We quote the live IP India schedule rather than a table that ages.

What Happens If You Do Not Renew

Step 1: Advertisement of Removal

The Registry advertises the trademark in the Trade Marks Journal as due for removal under Section 25(3) of the TMA 1999.

Step 2: Removal From the Register

If no renewal is filed within the period allowed after expiry, the Registrar removes the trademark from the register under Section 25(4).

Step 3: The Rights That Remain

Once removed, the registered rights go. The trademark becomes available for a third party to register, subject to any common-law rights you still hold through continued use. Those unregistered rights remain, but they are harder and more expensive to enforce than a registration.

Restoring a Removed Trademark

If a trademark has already been removed for non-renewal, you can apply for restoration under Section 25(4) of the TMA 1999, filing Form TM-R with the restoration fee alongside the renewal fee.

What Restoration Involves:

1. File the application with the prescribed fees
2. File within the period allowed after removal
3. Explain why the renewal was missed
4. The Registrar decides. Restoration is discretionary, not automatic

Worth Knowing:

• Restoration is at the Registrar's discretion and is never guaranteed
• If a third party has taken up rights in the trademark during the gap, restoration can be refused or granted with conditions
• Restoration always costs more than renewing on time

Bottom line: renewing on time is cheaper and simpler than restoring later.

Renewing Through WIPO's Madrid System (the Madrid Protocol)

If your Indian protection came through a WIPO international registration rather than a direct filing, renewal works differently:

• You renew centrally through WIPO, not through the Indian Trade Marks Registry
• One renewal covers every country and region on the international registration
• The term is 10 years from the date of the international registration
• Renewal fees are paid to WIPO in Swiss francs

There is no separate renewal with IP India for protection that came through an international registration. WIPO notifies the office in each country and region it covers.

Start My International Application →

A Renewal Routine That Works

1. Set Your Own Reminders

Diarize 12 months, 6 months, and 3 months before expiry. The Registry's notice is a courtesy, not a system.

2. Review the Portfolio Before You Pay

Renewal is a good moment to ask whether each trademark still earns its place:

• Is the trademark still in use?
• Has the product line or strategy moved on?
• Can any registrations be consolidated?

3. Update the Owner Details

If the owner's name, address, or legal entity has changed since registration, correct the record before or at renewal. Post-2017, changes of name or address and other post-registration requests go on Form TM-P, which is also the form used for assignment or transfer. The old TM-16 was replaced by the 2017 Rules. Keeping the address current is also how you keep receiving Registry correspondence.

4. Renew All Classes Together

If you hold registrations in several classes, renew them at the same time so protection does not lapse in one class while it continues in another. Our Class Assist tool helps you confirm what each class covers before you decide which to keep.

5. Watch the Journal During the Grace Period

If a renewal slips into the grace period, keep an eye on the Trade Marks Journal for third-party applications for similar trademarks, and renew promptly.

How we help: we manage renewal portfolios for businesses in India and internationally, with deadline tracking so the date never comes as a surprise. Renew My Trademark →

Sources

• IP India: trade marks
• WIPO Lex: The Trade Marks Rules, 2017 (India)