What is the government fee to file a trademark in Class 4?

₹4,500 per class for individuals, proprietors, DPIIT-recognised startups and Udyam-registered MSMEs. ₹9,000 per class for companies, LLPs and large entities. The fee is the same regardless of which of the 45 classes you file in.

How long does a Class 4 trademark registration take in India?

18 to 24 months end-to-end if uncontested. The examination report typically arrives in 3 to 6 months; journal publication and the 4-month opposition window follow before the registration certificate is issued.

Can I file in Class 4 as an individual?

Yes. Individuals and sole proprietors qualify for the ₹4,500 per-class fee bracket. The documents required are a photo ID, address proof, and a signed Form TM-48 power of attorney in favour of the trademark agent.

Trademark Class 4 in India: Industrial Oils, Lubricants & Fuels — Filing, Fees, Objection Risk

Q: What is Trademark Class 4 in India?

Class 4 of the NICE classification covers Industrial Oils, Lubricants & Fuels. Class 4 covers industrial oils, greases and lubricants, fuels and illuminants, and candles. It is the class for products used to power machi

Trademark Class 4 of the NICE classification covers Industrial Oils, Lubricants & Fuels. Class 4 covers industrial oils, greases and lubricants, fuels and illuminants, and candles. It is the class for products used to power machinery and vehicles or to provide light. For Indian filers, the class choice decides three downstream things — the registration cost, the likely objection grounds, and the third-party search visibility once the mark is published.

This guide is built on the verified IPForte facts layer. Every fee, deadline, statutory section and form name cited below comes from the Trade Marks Act, 1999, the Trade Marks Rules, 2017, and the live filing workflow our practice runs every week.

What Class 4 actually covers

Class 4 covers industrial oils, greases and lubricants, fuels and illuminants, and candles. It is the class for products used to power machinery and vehicles or to provide light. See the dedicated Class 4 reference page for the goods checklist if you are mapping a product line to the right class.

Government fees for a Class 4 filing

Indian trademark fees are tiered by applicant type, not by class. Individuals, sole proprietors, DPIIT-recognised startups and Udyam-registered MSMEs pay ₹4,500 per class. Companies, LLPs and other large entities pay ₹9,000 per class. For a Class 4 application alone, that is the all-in government fee — there is no class-specific surcharge. Run a precise estimate (including any additional classes you may add later) through the Trademark Cost Calculator.

The procedural timeline once you file

Filing acknowledgement: 48 hours after submission on the IP India online portal
Examination report (Section 9 absolute / Section 11 relative grounds): typically 3 to 6 months from filing
Objection reply deadline: 30 days from the date of the examination report — extendable by another 30 days on application
Trade Marks Journal publication and opposition window: 4 months after journal publication
Registration certificate (uncontested): 18 to 24 months end-to-end
Renewal cycle: 10 years, with a 6-month grace window after expiry

Class 4 — common objection patterns

Section 9 of the Trade Marks Act handles absolute grounds — descriptiveness, non-distinctiveness, customary terms in the trade. Marks that describe the goods in Class 4 directly tend to trigger Section 9 objections. Section 11 handles relative grounds — similarity to an earlier registered or well-known mark. Run a Class 4 pre-filing search before submission to map both objection categories. The Trademark Class Finder walks through which adjacent classes should also be searched.

The right class costs the same as the wrong one. Picking it correctly saves the refiling.

If the examiner raises an objection

The reply window is short — 30 days. Most reasoned replies survive Section 9 objections through evidence of acquired distinctiveness (sales, advertising, market presence) and Section 11 objections through detailed similarity analysis distinguishing the cited prior mark. Objection reply work is one of IPForte's most-run service lanes; the cost saving versus refiling on a fresh date is substantial.

Who files in Class 4

Class 4 sees applications from a mix of operating businesses, brand holding companies and individual proprietors. For sector-specific context on the IP stack relevant to this class, the industry guide covers the trademark plus design plus customs framework. For founders mapping where to apply from, the city-level filing guide walks through the address-for-service rules.

The takeaway

Class 4 is one of the 45 NICE classes recognised by the Indian Trade Marks Registry. The fees, procedure and objection framework are the same across classes; the goods/services definition is what makes Class 4 distinct. Get the class right, search before filing, watch the journal, respond to examination on time. IPForte's trademark registration service handles the full Class 4 workflow end-to-end.