IP India's PublicSearch tool — search.ipindia.gov.in/PublicSearch — is the official, free, government-run database of every trademark ever filed in India. It's the source of truth.
It's also slow, CAPTCHA-gated, single-class-at-a-time, and not designed for screening many name candidates at once. Here's what you actually get from doing it yourself, and where automation pays for itself.
What IP India PublicSearch gives you (free)
After getting past the image CAPTCHA on every search:
- Wordmark search — exact and partial matches against the mark text
- Phonetic search — separate tab; uses an internal SoundEx variant; catches near-matches
- Vienna code search — for figurative (logo) marks
- Full mark detail — applicant, status, dates, examination history, opposition records
Per query, you pick one Nice class at a time. A typical Indian brand needs to clear at least 1–3 classes (e.g. a beverage brand usually files in classes 32, 33, and possibly 30 and 35). So one name = 2× search modes (wordmark + phonetic) × 3 classes = 6 manual searches, each with its own CAPTCHA, each loading ~10–20 results you have to read individually.
The pain in numbers
From timing actual screening sessions at NOW Media:
- Per name (3 classes, full audit): ~25–40 minutes
- Per name (1 class, wordmark only): ~6–10 minutes
- Hidden tax: ~30% of CAPTCHAs misread on first try, +1 minute each
- Missed signals: no domain check, no MCA, no social, no AI scoring
Screening 10 candidate names properly is roughly a half-day of focused work. Skipping the phonetic step (most people do, because it's annoying) catches ~60% of conflicts but misses the ones that actually get refused under §11.
What you don't get from PublicSearch alone
- MCA company-name conflicts. Trademark and company registration are separate registries. A name can be TM-clear but blocked at MCA. That requires a parallel lookup at MCA21 (which is even worse UX).
- Domain availability. If sundara.com is taken by a squatter and you need .in only because that's what's left, your brand starts at a marketing disadvantage. PublicSearch can't tell you.
- Social handles. @sundara on Instagram might be a squatter or a competitor. PublicSearch can't tell you.
- Web presence. What shows up when someone Googles the name? Is there an existing brand using it informally without having registered? PublicSearch can't tell you.
- USPTO check. If you're going international, you also need to clear the US register. PublicSearch is India-only.
- AI brandability score. Distinctiveness, descriptive risk, confusion risk — PublicSearch shows you raw conflicts; you have to interpret them yourself.
What BrandAuditor adds
BrandAuditor automates the same IP India PublicSearch — wordmark + phonetic, all 45 classes — and runs MCA + USPTO + domain + social + web + AI scoring in parallel. One name takes 60 seconds.
Under the hood, we're hitting the same official IP India endpoints a human would. We solve the CAPTCHA programmatically, run the searches in parallel, and dedupe results. The data is identical — we're not making it up. We just deliver it in a fraction of the time, with five other signals layered on top.
Side-by-side
| IP India PublicSearch | BrandAuditor | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | 20 free, then ₹28.5/name avg |
| Time per name (3 classes) | ~25–40 minutes | ~60 seconds |
| Wordmark search | Yes | Yes |
| Phonetic search | Yes (manual, separate) | Yes (automatic, parallel) |
| All 45 classes scanned | No (one class per query) | Yes (parallel) |
| MCA conflict check | No | Yes |
| Domain availability | No | Yes |
| Social handle check | No | Yes |
| USPTO trademark check | No (India only) | Yes |
| AI brandability score | No | Yes |
| PDF audit report | No | Yes (paid) |
| CAPTCHAs to solve | Many | Zero |
When DIY makes sense
Use IP India PublicSearch directly when:
- You've already shortlisted to one name and want to do a final manual confirmation against the official source
- You need the full examination/opposition history for a specific application (PublicSearch shows this; we summarize it)
- You're an IP attorney verifying our output before filing — we'd expect you to
When automation pays for itself
- You're screening more than 1 candidate (so usually any naming project)
- You also need MCA, domain, social, or international checks
- You don't want to interpret raw IP India output yourself — you want a brandability verdict
- You're an agency or attorney doing this 10+ times a month — at ~30 min/name manual, paying ₹28.5 to save 30 minutes is an obvious trade
Bottom line
IP India PublicSearch is the source of truth, and BrandAuditor uses the exact same data. The difference is in the workflow. If you're doing this once for a single name you're sure about — DIY is free. If you're doing it across a shortlist, or you also need the other six signals, automating with BrandAuditor turns a half-day into 10 minutes.
Try it free on 20 names: Run an audit.