Naming a consumer brand in India: the checklist we actually use

Founders usually fall in love with a name before they have checked whether they can own it. Then the trademark objection arrives, or they discover the .com belongs to a Bengaluru SaaS company, or a distributor in Tamil Nadu tells them the name sounds awkward. By then the logo is done and the first print run is booked.

Here is the checklist we run every shortlisted name through before a client sees it presented as an option. It takes about half a day per name, which is far cheaper than renaming later.

1. Trademark: check the right classes

In India, trademarks are registered by class under the Nice Classification. A name that is free in one class can be taken in another. For nutrition, supplement and wellness brands, the classes that usually matter are:

• Class 5: pharmaceuticals, dietary and nutritional supplements. The core class for most supplement brands.
• Class 29: foods such as milk products, edible oils and some processed foods.
• Class 30: foods such as tea, coffee, cereals, snacks and bars.
• Class 32: non-alcoholic beverages, including many drink mixes.
• Class 3: cosmetics and personal care, if a skincare line is likely.
• Class 35: advertising and retail services, useful if you will sell through your own store.

Search the public trademark database on the IP India website for exact matches and for phonetic and visual lookalikes in each relevant class. "Nutrifit", "Nutrafit" and "Nutri Fit" will all be treated as close. Then get a trademark attorney to do a proper search and give an opinion before you commit. Small businesses and startups qualify for a reduced government filing fee, so filing across three or four classes is usually affordable. You can use ™ once you have applied; ® only after registration.

2. Avoid names that describe

Names like "Pure Protein" or "Gut Health Plus" are easy to understand and very hard to protect, because they describe the product. The trademark registry will often object, and even if you get through, competitors can use the same words. Suggestive or invented names ("FIBR", "The Proven Code") are far easier to own.

3. Domains

• Check the .com and the .in. Owning both is ideal. Owning neither is a real problem for a consumer brand.
• If the exact .com is taken, a simple modifier is acceptable: get[name].com, [name]health.com, try[name].com. Avoid hyphens and numbers.
• Look up who owns the taken domain. A parked domain can sometimes be bought. An active company in the same category is a warning sign.

4. Handles

Check Instagram, YouTube, X, LinkedIn and Facebook. You do not need the exact handle everywhere, but you want a consistent pattern, for example @[name].india or @[name]health on every platform. Also search each platform for the name. If another brand with the same name already has 50,000 followers in a nearby category, customers will confuse you.

5. Marketplaces

Search the name on Amazon.in, Flipkart, Nykaa, Blinkit and Zepto. Check whether any existing brand uses it, even in another category, and whether search results are flooded with unrelated products. You will also need your trademark application to enrol in Amazon Brand Registry, which is another reason to file early.

6. Say it in several languages

This is the step most founders skip, and it matters more in India than almost anywhere else.

• Say it aloud. Ask people from at least four language backgrounds, for example Hindi, Tamil, Bengali and Marathi speakers, to read the name from a card and say it. Note how many different pronunciations you get.
• Check meanings. Ask each person whether the name, or any part of it, means something in their language. Slang and regional words are the usual trap.
• Check spelling from sound. Say the name to someone and ask them to type it into a search bar. If three people produce three spellings, you will lose search traffic.
• Check script. Write it in Devanagari and one or two other scripts you might use on packaging. Some names look odd or become ambiguous.

7. The legal entity is separate

Your brand name does not have to match your company's registered name. Many businesses sell several brands from one private limited company. Keep the legal entity simple and protect the brand through trademarks.

The one-page scorecard

1. Clear in Class 5 and at least one other relevant class, confirmed by an attorney.
2. Not descriptive of the product.
3. .com or .in available, or a clean variant.
4. Consistent handle pattern available on the main platforms.
5. No existing brand of the same name on major marketplaces.
6. One dominant pronunciation across four languages.
7. No unfortunate meanings in any language checked.
8. Spelled correctly from sound by at least two of three people.

A name you cannot own is not a name. It is a temporary label on someone else's property.