Every trademark application in India has to state which class the brand will be registered in. There are 45 of them, and the list can look intimidating the first time. In practice, most businesses only ever deal with two or three. The trick is knowing which ones.

This post walks through the complete trademark class list used in India, groups the classes in a way that is easier to follow, and points out the pairs that applicants most often confuse.

Where the Trademark Class List Comes From

India uses the Nice Classification, an international system maintained by the World Intellectual Property Organization and followed by the Trade Marks Registry under the Trade Marks Act, 1999. It divides all goods and services into 45 classes:

• Classes 1 to 34: goods
• Classes 35 to 45: services

A registration only protects the brand within the classes named in the application. That is why getting the class right matters more than most people expect.

Trademark Classes for Goods (Class 1 to 34)

Trademark Classes for Services (Class 35 to 45)

Classes That Are Easy to Mix Up

A few pairs show up again and again in objections and refiled applications:

• Class 9 and Class 42: a downloadable app is Class 9, while software accessed online as a service is Class 42. Many tech brands need both.
• Class 3 and Class 5: ordinary skincare is Class 3. Products sold with medicinal or therapeutic claims usually move to Class 5.
• Class 29 and Class 30: dairy, meat and edible oils sit in Class 29, while tea, coffee, flour and bakery items sit in Class 30.
• Class 30 and Class 43: packaged coffee is a product in Class 30. Serving coffee in a cafe is a service in Class 43.
• Class 25 and Class 35: a fashion label covers the clothes in Class 25, but selling them through its own store or website falls in Class 35.
• Class 3 and Class 44: a cosmetics range is Class 3. A salon or spa offering treatments is Class 44.

How Many Classes Does a Business Need?

There is no fixed number. A single product brand may need one class. A brand that makes a product and also sells it directly, or plans to expand into related services, often needs two to four. The government fee is charged per class: ₹4,500 per class on e-filing for individuals, DPIIT-recognised startups and small enterprises, and ₹9,000 per class for others. A sensible shortlist balances coverage with cost.

The fastest way to narrow down the list is to search by product or service name rather than reading all 45 class headings. The trademark class search tool on Litem Legalis does exactly that and is free to use.

Quick Tips Before Filing

• Describe goods and services specifically. "Cotton shirts and trousers" works better than copying the class heading.
• Think about the next two or three years, since new classes cannot be added to an application after filing.
• Run a trademark search in every shortlisted class, not just the main one.
• Check the latest fee schedule on the IP India website before paying.

Once the classes are clear, the rest of the process, from search and filing to examination and registration, is covered in this guide to trademark registration in India.