A launch is a global disclosure event. File the vehicle name, the engine name and the mission brand before the livestream.
Private Indian spacetech stopped being theoretical the day Skyroot's Vikram-S left the pad. Since IN-SPACe opened the authorisation route for private players, Indian startups have been naming launch vehicles, engines, satellite buses and data platforms — and saying those names out loud on livestreams watched around the world. A launch is the most public product reveal any industry has. Everything on the webcast is disclosed to everyone, everywhere, at once.
The trademark side is straightforward if you file early. Launch vehicles and spacecraft sit in Class 12 (vehicles, including space vehicles). Avionics, flight computers, ground-station equipment and downloadable software sit in Class 9. Mission engineering, satellite-data platforms and space-tech SaaS sit in Class 42. One TM-A application costs ₹4,500 per class for startups, MSMEs and individuals — ₹9,000 otherwise. India is first-to-file: the countdown that matters runs at the Registry, not the pad.
Three filings cover most of the IP risk on day one. Each is a standalone service and each links to a deeper walkthrough.
Spacetech compresses years of R&D into a few extremely public moments — a static fire, a launch, a deployment confirmation. Each of those moments is an IP event, whether you planned it or not.
The pattern is the same each time: the disclosure calendar runs ahead of the filing calendar. Flip that order.
Space companies are unusual: hardware, electronics and services in one cap table. The classes track the revenue lines.
Most spacetech startups start with the trio the business actually invoices — check your own mix with the class finder before spending on extra classes.
Work the IP calendar backwards from your next public event. Before any static fire, test flight or detailed technical reveal, the propulsion, guidance and avionics inventions should have at least a provisional patent application on file. The provisional locks a 12-month priority date for a fraction of the cost of a complete specification — and it is the difference between a video that markets your engine and a video that invalidates it.
Within that 12-month window, decide the international route. A PCT application keeps 150+ countries open from a single filing while you raise the round that pays for national-phase entries.
Trademarks follow the same rule with less cost pressure: vehicle names, engine names and mission brands can be filed on a proposed-to-be-used basis the day they are shortlisted. ₹4,500 per class buys you the priority date. Nothing about a rocket programme is that cheap again.
The IN-SPACe era means Indian companies are selling launch slots, satellite buses and data products to foreign customers — which means the brand must be protected where the customer signs, not just where the rocket lifts off.
The Madrid Protocol is built for exactly this. One application based on your Indian filing designates any of 130+ member countries — the US, EU, Japan, Australia and most major space markets included — at roughly 60-70% below the cost of separate national filings. Designate the markets where you have customers, ground stations or launch partnerships.
Priority tip: if you file abroad within 6 months of the Indian application, you can claim the Indian filing date in those countries. Time the Madrid filing inside that window and your launch announcement stops being a race you can lose.
Government fees: ₹4,500 per class per mark for startups, MSMEs and individuals; ₹9,000 otherwise. A DPIIT-recognised launch startup filing its vehicle brand in Class 12 + 9 + 42 pays ₹13,500 in government fees. Filing takes 48 hours; the ™ symbol is yours from the application date.
Examination typically lands within a few months. A clean application publishes in the Trade Marks Journal, survives the 4-month opposition window, and registers in roughly 7–18 months. An objection gives you 30 days to reply. Registration lasts 10 years — about two full development cycles for a launch vehicle — and renews indefinitely.
Launch coming up? Tell us the reveal date — we will sequence the trademark and patent filings before it.
WhatsApp our team →Class 12, which covers vehicles including space vehicles. Avionics, flight computers and ground-station software fall under Class 9, and mission engineering or satellite-data platforms under Class 42. Most launch startups file all three.
Risky. Public disclosure before filing can destroy novelty, and a detailed test video or technical press note may count as disclosure. File at least a provisional patent application before releasing any test footage or technical detail.
Yes, if the name will carry commercial weight — vehicle families and flagship missions become the brand customers remember. India allows filing on a proposed-to-be-used basis, so file when the name is shortlisted, before the announcement.
Through the Madrid Protocol. One application based on your Indian filing can designate 130+ countries, including the US, EU and Japan, at roughly 60-70% less than separate national filings. File within 6 months of the Indian application to claim its priority date abroad.
₹4,500 per class in government fees for DPIIT-recognised startups and MSMEs (₹9,000 otherwise). A vehicle brand filed in Class 12, 9 and 42 costs ₹13,500 in government fees for a startup, plus professional charges.