Trademark Classes in India: How to Pick the Right Class (with Examples)

The Nice Classification has 45 classes. Choosing wrong means your ™ won't actually protect what you sell — here's how to get it right.

India follows the international Nice Classification with 45 classes — 34 for goods and 11 for services. A single trademark application covers only one class; multi-class filings pay a separate fee per class.

Popular startup classes: Class 9 (software, mobile apps), Class 35 (advertising, marketplaces), Class 41 (education, media), Class 42 (SaaS, IT services), Class 25 (apparel, D2C fashion).

Always run a public search on the IP India portal across all likely classes before filing. A prior mark in a related class can raise a Section 11 opposition even if you file in a different class.

Startups with DPIIT recognition and MSMEs with a valid Udyam certificate pay a reduced government fee of ₹4,500 per class instead of the standard ₹9,000 — a real saving for multi-class filings.