Take your brand beyond India with Legal Startup. A dedicated IP expert helps you choose the right countries, files your international application through the Madrid Protocol or directly abroad, and follows it until protection is granted.
Free call & custom quote · Professional fee + WIPO and country fees
International trademark registration in India means protecting your brand in other countries. There is no single worldwide trademark, so an Indian applicant either files one international application under the Madrid Protocol through the Indian Trade Marks Registry and WIPO, or files separately in each country or region.
Last updated: October 2026. Fees, member countries and procedures can change, so we confirm the current position before filing.
Trademark rights are territorial. A registration in India gives you rights in India, and nothing more. If you export, sell online to foreign customers, work with overseas distributors or plan to open abroad, you need protection in those countries too, or someone else may register your brand there first.
The Madrid system, run by WIPO, lets an Indian applicant file one international application naming the countries where protection is wanted. The application is made through the Indian Trade Marks Registry and is based on your Indian application or registration, called the basic mark. Each country you name then examines the mark under its own law and decides whether to grant protection.
Some countries are outside the Madrid system, and some brands prefer to file locally. In those cases separate national or regional filings are made, often within the 6-month priority period after the Indian filing. For forms, fee details and Madrid guidance, visit the Intellectual Property India website at ipindia.gov.in, the official portal of the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks, Government of India, and the WIPO website for the Madrid system. If your brand is not yet registered in India, start with our trademark registration online service.
The limits and timelines every exporting brand should know.
The best route depends on your target markets, budget and brand plans.
One international application naming several member countries.
A separate application in each country, through a local agent.
One application covering a regional group of countries.
Use your Indian filing date when applying abroad within 6 months.
Add more countries to an existing international registration.
Keep the international registration alive and in order.
Not sure which route suits your markets? Our experts will map the countries and suggest the right mix after a free call.
Why exporters, online sellers and growing brands protect their name abroad.
Secure exclusive rights in the countries where you sell or plan to sell.
Reduce the risk of someone registering your brand abroad before you do.
Registered rights make it easier to act against copies and counterfeits.
The Madrid route simplifies filing across member countries.
A protected global brand is a stronger asset for funding and sale.
Overseas partners prefer a brand that is protected in their country.
One renewal and one record for the Madrid designations.
From country planning to local protection, here is how an Indian applicant files internationally under the Madrid Protocol.
Timelines vary by country and by the objections each office raises. Not to scale.
We look at where you sell, manufacture and plan to expand, and choose between Madrid, direct or regional filing.
For the Madrid route we confirm that your Indian application or registration is in order and matches the mark.
The goods and services are worded in English to fit foreign classification practice and avoid early objections.
The application goes through the Indian Trade Marks Registry, which certifies it and forwards it to WIPO.
WIPO checks the formalities, records the registration and notifies each country you named.
Each office examines the mark. If it objects, we coordinate a reply through a local agent until protection is granted.
Keep these ready to avoid delays. Our expert will confirm the exact list for your case.
The cost depends on the number of countries, the number of classes and the route you choose. It generally has three parts:
Madrid filings carry a basic fee and fees charged by WIPO, usually in Swiss francs. The schedule can change, so we confirm current amounts.
Each country you name or file in charges its own fee, and some require a local agent whose charges are added.
Depends on the countries and the work involved. Call free for a custom quote before you pay anything.
We share a clear, itemised quote before you begin – no hidden charges. Get your free quote →
Start with a country plan, file under Madrid or directly, then keep the registration in order. Call free for a custom quote.
For brands with an Indian mark that want to file in several countries at once.
For countries outside Madrid, regional systems or local-control filing.
Adding countries, answering refusals and renewing the registration.
Our professional fee is quoted after a free call. WIPO, Registry and country fees, and any local agent charges, are separate. Protection in each country is decided by that country's office. Not sure which option fits? Ask for a free country plan.
If your brand crosses a border, your trademark should too.
Protect your product names in the countries you ship to.
Selling on global marketplaces often needs a registered mark in that country.
Secure your name abroad before a foreign filer does.
Cover your app or platform name where your users are.
Build a franchise or licence network on a protected brand in each market.
Act against registration or use of your name by others abroad.
A quick view of the main ways to file abroad. Ask us which one fits your markets.
| Route | Filed with | Covers | Needs Indian mark first? | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madrid Protocol | Indian Registry, then WIPO | Chosen Madrid member countries | Yes | One renewal; depends on the Indian mark for 5 years |
| Direct national filing | Each country's office | One country each | No | Needed for non-Madrid countries |
| Regional filing | The regional office | A group of countries | No | Check which countries are covered |
| Indian registration only | Indian Registry | India | Not applicable | Does not protect your brand abroad |
Early planning prevents most problems with foreign filings.
Filing is the start. Here is how to keep the protection strong across countries.
Each country examines the mark separately, so we follow every designation.
Monitor foreign registers and marketplaces for similar marks and copies.
Add countries to the international registration as your business expands.
Renew through WIPO, and keep the Indian mark alive too. See trademark renewal online.
Related services: trademark assignment online when ownership changes, trademark hearing online for objections to your Indian mark, and well-known trademark registration for established brands. For local support, see our pages for trademark registration in Dwarka and Jaipur.
Quick answers on registering your trademark abroad from India.
There is no single worldwide trademark. International trademark registration means protecting your brand in other countries, either through one international application under the Madrid Protocol or through separate filings in each country.
No. Trademark rights are territorial, so an Indian registration protects your brand in India only. You need protection in each country where you sell, manufacture or plan to expand.
File an international application under the Madrid Protocol through the Indian Trade Marks Registry, based on your Indian application or registration. The Registry certifies it and forwards it to WIPO, which records it and notifies the countries you chose.
For the Madrid route, yes. The international application must be based on an Indian application or registration, called the basic mark. For direct filings in individual countries, an Indian mark is not required.
The Madrid Protocol is an international system run by WIPO that lets you apply for trademark protection in many member countries through a single application, in one language, with one set of fees and one renewal.
Under the Paris Convention you have 6 months from the date of your Indian application to file in other member countries and claim the Indian filing date as your priority date.
Cost depends on the number of countries, the classes and the goods or services. It includes WIPO fees, individual fees charged by each country and our professional fee. Call us free for an itemised quote before you pay anything.
An international registration under the Madrid system is valid for 10 years from the registration date and can be renewed for further 10-year periods through WIPO.
For the first 5 years the international registration depends on the Indian basic mark. If the Indian mark is cancelled or refused in that period, the international registration can fall away too, so the Indian mark must be defended.
Yes. Each country you designate examines the mark under its own law and may refuse it or raise objections. Refusal in one country does not affect the others, and we help you respond locally through an agent.
Taking your brand abroad? Speak to our IP expert today – the call and the quote are free.
Tell us what you need and our team will get back to you with the right guidance.