India's trademark register contains 7M+ records across 45 classes. When you search for a brand name, you may get results from many different classes — most of which are irrelevant to your business. Class-wise searching focuses your results on the classes that actually matter for your industry.

Why Class Matters in Trademark Search

Trademark protection in India is class-specific. A "RELIANCE" registration in Class 6 (metals) does not automatically conflict with a new "RELIANCE" application in Class 42 (IT services) — though in practice, well-known marks extend across classes.

For most brand searches, the key conflicts are those in:

  • Your exact class (highest risk)
  • Adjacent or related classes (medium risk — courts sometimes extend protection)
  • All classes (for detecting well-known marks)
  1. Go to tmpublicsearch.com
  2. Enter your brand name in the search box
  3. In the Class dropdown, select the specific class you want to search (e.g., Class 35 for retail)
  4. Click Search
  5. Results will show only trademarks in that class
  6. Repeat for each class relevant to your business

At minimum, search in:

  • Your primary class — the class covering your main product or service
  • Adjacent classes — classes covering related products/services (consumers may perceive them as connected)
  • All classes — at least one broad search to catch any well-known marks you may have missed

Interpreting Class-Wise Search Results

ScenarioRisk LevelAction
Identical mark, same class, Registered statusVery HighDo not proceed — rebrand
Similar mark, same class, RegisteredHighConsult attorney — likely need to rebrand
Similar mark, same class, Pending/ObjectedMedium-HighMonitor and consult attorney
Identical mark, different class, RegisteredLow-MediumCheck if well-known; consult attorney
No results in your classLowGet professional clearance before filing

Quick Class Reference Guide

Not sure which class to search? Here are the most common classes by business type:

  • Tech company, app, software: Classes 9, 42, 35
  • Food brand: Classes 29, 30, 43
  • Clothing / fashion: Classes 25, 24, 35
  • Restaurant / cafe: Class 43
  • Healthcare: Classes 44, 5, 10
  • Education / coaching: Classes 41, 42
  • Financial services: Classes 36, 42
  • Jewellery: Classes 14, 35
Search Strategy

Start with your primary class for the most focused results. Then do one broad "All classes" search to catch any well-known marks. If you find potential conflicts, consult a trademark attorney before finalising your brand name or filing your application.