Recent developments at the Indian trademarks registry: Digitisation, transparency, and efficiency

The Trade Marks Registry, under the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks (CGPDTM), has undertaken significant initiatives to transform the Indian trade mark ecosystem into a faster, technology-driven, transparent and user-friendly system for businesses, startups, MSMEs, legal professionals and innovators.

These initiatives go beyond digitising filing procedures by improving examination quality, reducing pendency, enhancing accountability, increasing public access to information and strengthening India's trade mark ecosystem in line with international best practices. The major developments are discussed below.

New integrated trade marks public search portal 

Effective from July 1, 2026, the Trade Marks Registry decommissioned its existing Public Search System, with all trade mark search services now available through the upgraded Trade Marks Public Search Portal. The new portal offers an improved user interface, OTP-based authentication, advanced search capabilities, and integrated access to databases such as Well-Known Marks, the Vienna Classification, International Non-proprietary Names (INNs) and prohibited marks.

Procedural improvements and process automation 

A series of procedural reforms and process reengineering initiatives have improved the efficiency and transparency of the trade mark registration system. Key measures include an updated online search facility for the Classification of Goods and Services, auto-allotment of applications for examination, and automated generation of registration and renewal certificates. Certificates are now generated automatically, emailed to applicants or their agents, and uploaded to the Electronic Register. Hearing notices and adjournment details are also published online, improving transparency while reducing processing time and manual intervention.

Dynamic tracking utilities 

The Trade Marks Registry has introduced a suite of dynamic tracking utilities to provide stakeholders with real-time information on the disposal of trade mark applications and issuance of notices, the examination queue, application deficiencies, and renewals due for registered trade marks. These utilities enable stakeholders to monitor the progress of applications, identify pending compliances, track examination status, and manage renewal timelines efficiently.

Browser-based digital signing and enhanced e-filing security 

The Trade Marks Registry has strengthened the security of electronic filings by introducing a browser-based digital signing solution and migrating the e-filing system to a Google Chrome-compatible platform. The portal now accepts Aadhaar-based e-Sign as an alternative to a Class 3 Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) and verifies agent codes against the Power of Attorney on record. These measures enhance security, improve authenticity and reduce the risk of fraudulent filings.

Combined examination reports and AI-assisted examination 

The Trade Marks Registry, as a matter of general practice, now issues a single consolidated examination report combining formality and substantive objections, allowing applicants to file one comprehensive response. It has also introduced technology-assisted examination tools to improve examination speed, consistency and efficiency while reducing manual workload.

Adoption of the 13^th edition of the nice classification 

Effective from January 1, 2026, India adopted the 13th Edition of the Nice Classification, aligning its trade mark classification system with the latest international standards. The updated edition includes revised classifications for emerging goods and services, including Artificial Intelligence, improving clarity, consistency, global compatibility and the efficiency of trade mark registration.

IP India dashboards and data transparency 

The Trade Marks Registry has expanded its public dashboards and reporting tools to provide greater transparency. These dashboards offer access to filing, disposal and pendency statistics, enabling stakeholders to analyse trends, assess operational performance and evaluate the efficiency of the trade mark registration system.

Updated well-known marks procedures

The Trade Marks Registry has introduced administrative reforms for the recognition of well-known marks. Effective from June 1, 2026, the processing of applications was shifted from the Mumbai Office to the Delhi Office. A new online module also allows supporting documents to be filed under the "Miscellaneous" category, a facility that was previously unavailable.

Publication of practice guidelines

The Trade Marks Registry continues to enhance transparency by publishing practice notices, public notices, procedural guidelines and other official communications. These publications provide guidance on filing requirements and procedures, promoting consistency, compliance and greater legal certainty.

Enhancing administrative efficiency and accountability 

Vide its Office Order dated October 8, 2025, the Trade Marks Registry streamlined the functioning of the Trade Marks, Geographical Indications and Copyright Registries by defining officers' roles, introducing performance targets, standardising examination and hearing procedures, and promoting transparency through reasoned electronic orders. These reforms aim to reduce backlogs and improve efficiency and consistency.

Public reminder and deadline management

The Trade Marks Registry has strengthened deadline management by issuing periodic public reminders on statutory deadlines and procedural requirements. These reminders promote timely compliance with filing obligations, renewals and opposition proceedings, reduce missed deadlines, and support the efficient progression of trade mark proceedings, including the timely issuance of abandonment orders where applicable.

Initiative to clear the opposition backlog 

To reduce the backlog of pending opposition matters, the Trade Marks Registry has intensified the scheduling and disposal of opposition hearings by limiting adjournments, prioritising long-pending cases, and, where appropriate, deciding matters based on written submissions and the available record.

Strengthening international cooperation 

The Trade Marks Registry, through its International Affairs Division, collaborates with the World Intellectual Property Organization and foreign IP offices under Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and other cooperative frameworks. These collaborations promote technical cooperation, capacity building, exchange of best practices and harmonisation of IP administration. The International Cooperation portal on the IP India website further enhances transparency by providing information on MoUs and international engagements.

Public advisory against unauthorised trade mark service providers 

In January 2026, the CGPDTM issued a public advisory warning applicants against misleading websites and unauthorised service providers. The advisory clarified that only registered trade mark agents or advocates may represent applicants before the Trade Marks Registry and encouraged applicants to verify representatives' credentials and rely on official IP India resources.

Power of attorney stamp duty reference portal 

The Trade Marks Registry now provides a dedicated Power of Attorney Stamp Duty Portal to help stakeholders determine the applicable stamp duty for Power of Attorney documents across different States and Union Territories, ensuring accurate compliance with applicable stamp laws.

The most frequently reported issue with the new platform relates to the OTP and CAPTCHA verification processes. Users are required to complete OTP and CAPTCHA verification at multiple stages, while delays in receiving OTPs often interrupt the filing process. In addition, the CAPTCHA design is unnecessarily complex, at times appearing to require users to revisit their BODMAS lessons, whereas simple CAPTCHAs would be sufficient. Introducing simpler CAPTCHAs and streamlining the OTP verification process would significantly improve usability.

The platform's lookup and search functions are also noticeably slow, further affecting the overall user experience.

Furthermore, while the Trade Marks Registry's dynamic tracking utilities offer real-time tracking for national applications, a similar level of visibility is notably lacking for International Registrations Designating India (IRDI/IR applications), where stakeholders remain unable to track examination queues or processing status.

The recent developments mark a significant step towards a more efficient, transparent and technology-driven trade mark administration, aligned with international best practices.

However, certain challenges as addressed above still remain. These include the slow performance of the IP India website and continuing case backlogs, both of which adversely affect the user experience and the overall efficiency of the trade mark registration process.

Addressing these issues through further technological upgrades, better servers, email-based one-time sign-ins, user-friendly interface improvements, transparency in IRDI/IR applications and enhanced infrastructure will strengthen India's trade mark ecosystem and further improve the ease of doing business.

About the authors: Mohit Wadhwa is a Partner, Shumi Wasandi is a Principal Associate, Rinkoo Kakkar and Tiyasa Banerjee are Senior Associates at Singh & Singh Law Firm LLP.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s). The opinions presented do not necessarily reflect the views of Bar & Bench.

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