Design registration is the cheapest registered right in India, and since 2021 individuals, startups and small entities pay a quarter of what everyone else does. The official fees are set out below; professional fees are separate. Fees change by amendment, and the schedule on the Designs Office website is the authority.
Quick reference
| Stage | Natural person, startup, small entity | Others |
|---|---|---|
| Application to register | ₹1,000 | ₹4,000 |
| Extension of term (years 11 to 15) | ₹2,000 | ₹8,000 |
| Restoration of a lapsed design | ₹1,000 | ₹4,000 |
| Petition to cancel a registration | ₹1,500 | ₹6,000 |
| Recording an assignment or licence, one design | ₹500 | ₹2,000 |
The two rates
The 2021 amendment to the Rules created a reduced rate for natural persons, startups and small entities, at roughly a quarter of the standard fee. A startup is one recognised under the Startup India scheme; a small entity is one within the MSME limits. Foreign applicants qualify on the equivalent test. The status is declared in the application form with supporting evidence, and the reduced rate is available only if every applicant qualifies.
Transfer to a larger owner. Where an application or registration filed at the reduced rate is transferred to someone who does not qualify, the new owner must pay the difference between the reduced fees paid and the standard fees. It is a small sum for a design, but it is a condition of recording the transfer.
Filing
| Item | Reduced | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Application for registration, one design in one class | ₹1,000 | ₹4,000 |
| Notice of intended exhibition | ₹500 | ₹2,000 |
Each design is a separate application and a separate fee. A product with three variants costs three filings. Convention priority carries no additional fee; the certified priority document must be filed, and an extension of time to file it can be requested with a fee.
During the term
| Item | Reduced | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Extension of the term from ten to fifteen years | ₹2,000 | ₹8,000 |
| Restoration of a design that lapsed for non-payment | ₹1,000 | ₹4,000, plus the unpaid extension fee |
There is a single extension, applied for before the tenth year ends. A design that lapses can be restored within a year on payment of the restoration fee and the extension fee that was missed.
Disputes and dealings
| Item | Reduced | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Petition for cancellation of a registration | ₹1,500 | ₹6,000 |
| Registration of an assignment, licence or other document, one design | ₹500 | ₹2,000 |
| Each additional design in the same document | ₹200 | ₹800 |
The cancellation fee is paid by the petitioner at the petitioner’s rate. The recordal fee is paid by the person claiming under the document, at that person’s rate.
What a design costs, roughly
For a standard-rate applicant: ₹4,000 to file and ₹8,000 to extend — ₹12,000 in official fees for the full fifteen years, with no annual renewals in between. At the reduced rate, ₹3,000. Compared with a patent, which costs a standard-rate owner several lakh rupees in renewals alone, a design is inexpensive protection, and a portfolio of designs across a product range is affordable in a way a patent portfolio is not.
The professional cost of preparing good representations is usually the larger part of the bill, and the part that determines whether the registration is worth anything.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to register a design in India? ₹1,000 for a natural person, startup or small entity, or ₹4,000 for others, per design per class. Extending the term for the final five years costs ₹2,000 or ₹8,000. There are no annual renewal fees.
Who qualifies for the reduced design fees? Natural persons, startups recognised under the Startup India scheme, and small entities within the MSME limits. Foreign applicants qualify on the equivalent test. Every applicant must qualify for the reduced rate to apply.
What does it cost to extend a design registration? ₹2,000 at the reduced rate or ₹8,000 at the standard rate, for the single extension from ten to fifteen years, applied for before the tenth year ends.
What does it cost to restore a lapsed design? ₹1,000 or ₹4,000, plus the extension fee that was not paid, on an application within one year of the lapse.
Is there a fee to record a design assignment? Yes — ₹500 or ₹2,000 for one design, and ₹200 or ₹800 for each further design covered by the same document.
What happens to the fees if a small entity sells its design to a large company? The difference between the reduced fees already paid and the standard fees becomes payable by the new owner, as a condition of recording the transfer.
Useful official resources
- IP India — designs — the fee schedule, which is the authority on every figure above
See our related notes on the design registration process and the term, extension and restoration.
Budgeting a design filing programme across a product range? Talk to us.