India Launches National Mission to Speed Up Trademark Examination

21 Feb

LP Insights

India Launches National Mission to Speed Up Trademark Examination

The Government of India has announced the launch of the National IP Pendency Elimination Karma Mission (NIPEKM), a focused initiative aimed at reducing the critical pre-examination backlog of trademark applications at the Trade Marks Registry.

The mission is scheduled to run for ten weeks, culminating on 26 April 2026 (World IP Day). It forms part of broader governmental efforts to streamline intellectual property administration and improve examination timelines across India’s trademark system.

Key Operational Measures

Under the mission framework, officers of the Trade Marks Registry have been directed to examine 60 trademark applications per day to support the pendency-reduction objective.

Additionally, officers across multiple IP offices — including those in Administrative, IT, Madrid Division, Geographical Indications, and Copyright functions — have been instructed to undertake trademark examination work for one day per week during the ten-week mission period.

Officers currently conducting scheduled hearings four days per week will also contribute to examination duties on Fridays throughout the mission duration.

To maintain procedural continuity, a panel of reserved show-cause hearing officers has been constituted to handle hearings where designated officers are unavailable.

Monitoring and Implementation

The IT division of the Trade Marks Registry has been directed to provide examination-module access to all participating officers and to monitor daily performance. Consolidated reports will be submitted to senior registry leadership overseeing the mission’s execution.

These revised functional duties and performance targets have come into immediate effect, reflecting India’s commitment to improving IP processing efficiency and supporting faster trademark protection for businesses.

What This Means for Brand Owners

For applicants and rights holders, the NIPEKM initiative signals:

• Potential reduction in examination delays
• Faster movement of pending trademark applications
• Continued modernization of India’s IP administration

If successfully implemented, the mission could significantly improve trademark processing timelines in one of the world’s fastest-growing brand markets.

Legacy Partners Global Perspective

At Legacy Partners Global, we closely monitor regulatory and procedural developments across jurisdictions to help clients navigate evolving trademark timelines and enforcement landscapes.

Our team supports trademark filing, prosecution, and portfolio management in India and across 190+ jurisdictions worldwide, ensuring brands remain protected as legal systems advance.

Need guidance on trademark protection in India or globally?
Contact our IP advisors to assess your filing strategy and pending applications.

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