All 45 Nice Classification Classes Explained

Every trademark application in India has to specify at least one Nice Classification class, and your registration only protects the mark within the class(es) you actually file under. Getting this right shapes the scope of your protection for the entire life of the registration, so it's worth understanding what each class actually covers before you file, not after.

If you'd rather start from a description of your business than the full list below, try our Nice Classification Finder — describe what you do in plain language and it suggests classes worth looking at first.

How the system is structured

The Nice Classification organizes all goods and services into 45 classes: classes 1–34 cover goods, and classes 35–45 cover services. It's maintained internationally and adopted in India for Form TM-A filings. The summaries below reflect the general scope of each class heading; the precise wording of class headings is periodically revised, so always confirm the current specification wording for your actual goods/services at the time you file, rather than relying on a general description alone.

Goods classes (1–34)

Class 1 — Industrial and scientific chemicals, unprocessed plastics and resins, fertilizers, adhesives for industrial use. Covers raw and semi-processed chemical inputs used in manufacturing, agriculture, and R&D — not the finished consumer products made from them.
Class 2 — Paints, varnishes, lacquers, colorants and dyes, printing inks, anti-rust and wood preservatives. The businesses here are paint brands, coatings manufacturers, and printer-ink suppliers, whether sold to trade painters or over the counter at a hardware store.
Class 3 — Non-medicated cosmetics and toiletries, perfumery, cleaning and polishing preparations. This is where most personal-care and beauty brands sit: soaps, shampoos, makeup, skincare, perfumes, and household cleaning products like detergents and polish, as long as they aren't medicated.
Class 4 — Industrial oils and greases, lubricants, fuels, candles and wicks. Covers automotive and industrial lubricant brands, fuel suppliers, and candle makers.
Class 5 — Pharmaceuticals, medical and veterinary preparations, dietary supplements, disinfectants, pesticides. This is the class for drug manufacturers, supplement and vitamin brands, sanitizer and disinfectant products, and pest-control chemicals — medicated products that Class 3 excludes.
Class 6 — Common metals and alloys, metal building materials, metal hardware, safes. Covers metal fabricators, hardware brands (locks, hinges, fittings), and manufacturers of metal doors, gates, and safes.
Class 7 — Machines and machine tools, motors and engines (non-vehicle), agricultural implements. Industrial and farm machinery brands — factory equipment, power tools with motors, tractors' implements — sit here, distinct from hand tools in Class 8.
Class 8 — Hand-operated tools and implements, cutlery, razors. Kitchen knives, scissors, garden tools, razors and shaving blades, and other manually operated hardware.
Class 9 — Scientific, measuring, and IT equipment; computer software; recorded and downloadable media; safety and life-saving equipment. One of the broadest and most commonly filed classes: this covers app and software brands (for downloadable software), electronics and gadget makers, laptop and phone accessory brands, and safety gear like fire extinguishers and protective equipment.
Class 10 — Surgical, medical, dental and veterinary apparatus; orthopedic and assistive devices. Medical device manufacturers, diagnostic equipment brands, and mobility aids like wheelchairs and braces.
Class 11 — Lighting, heating, cooling, cooking, drying, and sanitary installations. Covers appliance brands — fans, ACs, geysers, induction cooktops, LED lighting — as well as bathroom fixtures like taps and sanitary ware.
Class 12 — Vehicles and apparatus for locomotion by land, air, or water. Automobile, two-wheeler, bicycle, and drone manufacturers, along with vehicle parts sold as accessories to those vehicles.
Class 13 — Firearms, ammunition, explosives, fireworks. A narrow, tightly regulated class covering weapons manufacturers and fireworks brands.
Class 14 — Precious metals and jewellery, horological and chronometric instruments. Jewellery brands, goldsmiths, and watch and clock makers.
Class 15 — Musical instruments. Covers instrument manufacturers and brands, from guitars to electronic keyboards.
Class 16 — Paper and cardboard, printed matter, stationery, office requisites, teaching materials. Stationery and notebook brands, publishers of printed books and magazines, packaging-paper suppliers, and educational material publishers.
Class 17 — Unprocessed rubber and plastics for manufacture, insulating materials, flexible non-metal pipes. Industrial raw-material suppliers — rubber sheeting, plastic compounds sold for further manufacture, and insulation products — rather than finished plastic goods.
Class 18 — Leather and imitation leather, luggage and bags, umbrellas, animal apparel. Handbag, wallet, and luggage brands, along with leather-goods manufacturers and pet-clothing brands.
Class 19 — Non-metallic building materials, rigid non-metal pipes, transportable buildings. Cement, tile, and construction-material brands, along with prefab structure makers — the non-metal counterpart to Class 6.
Class 20 — Furniture, mirrors, picture frames, non-metal containers. Furniture manufacturers and home-decor brands selling non-metal, non-textile items like wooden furniture, mattresses, and mirrors.
Class 21 — Household and kitchen utensils, cookware, glassware, porcelain and earthenware. Kitchenware brands — pots, pans, dinnerware, drinkware — plus cleaning tools like brushes and sponges.
Class 22 — Ropes, nets, tents, tarpaulins, sacks, raw textile fibers. Covers outdoor-gear brands making tents and tarpaulins, and suppliers of raw fibers, ropes, and sacking materials.
Class 23 — Yarns and threads for textile use. Yarn and thread manufacturers supplying the textile and garment industry, distinct from the finished fabric in Class 24.
Class 24 — Textiles and textile substitutes, household linen, curtains. Fabric brands, bedsheet and towel manufacturers, and curtain makers.
Class 25 — Clothing, footwear, headwear. One of the most heavily filed classes: apparel brands, t-shirts and everyday clothing, shoes and sneakers, and caps and hats.
Class 26 — Lace, embroidery, ribbons, buttons, artificial flowers, hair accessories. Covers haberdashery and garment-trim suppliers, plus hair-accessory brands like clips and scrunchies.
Class 27 — Carpets, rugs, mats, linoleum, non-textile wall hangings. Flooring and rug brands, including door mats and vinyl flooring.
Class 28 — Games, toys, video game apparatus, sporting goods. Toy brands, board-game publishers, video-game console and controller makers, and sporting-goods brands like cricket bats and gym equipment.
Class 29 — Meat, fish, poultry, preserved fruits and vegetables, dairy products, edible oils. Covers packaged-food brands selling processed or preserved animal and plant products: frozen meat, canned vegetables, cheese and dairy, cooking oils, and pickles.
Class 30 — Coffee, tea, cereals, bread and confectionery, sauces, spices, ice. Another very commonly filed class: bakeries, packaged snack and confectionery brands, spice and masala brands, tea and coffee brands, and sauces and condiments.
Class 31 — Raw agricultural and horticultural products, live animals, animal feed, seeds and plants. Covers farms and agri-input brands selling unprocessed produce, nurseries selling plants and seeds, and pet-food and animal-feed brands.
Class 32 — Beers, non-alcoholic beverages, mineral waters, fruit juices. Soft-drink, packaged water, and juice brands, plus beer manufacturers.
Class 33 — Alcoholic beverages, other than beer. Wine, spirits, and liquor brands.
Class 34 — Tobacco and tobacco substitutes, smokers' articles, matches. Cigarette and tobacco brands, vaping products, and smoking accessories like lighters and matches.

Service classes (35–45)

Class 35 — Advertising, business management and administration, office functions, retail/wholesale services. A very broad and frequently filed class: it covers ad agencies and marketing firms, business consultants, and, importantly, retail and e-commerce businesses themselves — an online store or a retail chain typically files here for the service of selling goods, separately from whatever class covers the goods themselves.
Class 36 — Financial, monetary, banking, insurance, and real estate services. Banks, NBFCs, fintech and payment-app brands, insurance providers, and real-estate brokers and developers.
Class 37 — Construction, installation, and repair services. Construction companies, contractors, and repair services — from home renovation to appliance and vehicle repair shops.
Class 38 — Telecommunications services. Telecom operators, ISPs, and messaging or calling-app services (the connectivity service itself, distinct from any downloadable app software in Class 9).
Class 39 — Transport, packaging and storage of goods, travel arrangement. Logistics and courier companies, cab and ride-hailing services, warehousing providers, and travel agencies.
Class 40 — Treatment of materials, waste recycling, printing services, food/drink preservation. Custom manufacturing and material-processing services, printing and photo-printing shops, recycling operators, and food-processing services performed for others.
Class 41 — Education, training, entertainment, sporting and cultural activities. Schools, coaching institutes and ed-tech platforms, gyms and fitness studios, event organizers, and entertainment brands like streaming or gaming platforms.
Class 42 — Scientific and technological services, IT and software design and development, quality control. Covers software brands offered as a service rather than a download — SaaS platforms, app-development and IT consulting firms, web-hosting providers, and testing/quality-certification labs.
Class 43 — Restaurant and food/drink services, temporary accommodation. Restaurants, cafes, cloud kitchens, catering businesses, and hotels or short-stay accommodation providers.
Class 44 — Medical, veterinary, and beauty/hygiene services; agricultural and horticultural services. Hospitals and clinics, veterinary services, salons and spas, and landscaping or farming services performed for others.
Class 45 — Legal services, personal and social services, security services for physical protection. Law firms and legal-service providers, security guard and surveillance companies, and personal services like matchmaking or dating platforms.

When your business needs more than one class

Each Nice class is a separate, self-contained scope of protection — registering a mark in one class gives you no statutory right over that same mark in a different class, even for a closely related business activity by the same company. This is the single most common way businesses end up under-protected: they assume registering the mark once covers "the brand," when in fact it only covers the specific goods or services listed in the class(es) actually filed.

This matters most when a business sells the same brand through more than one channel or format. A few concrete examples:

A manufacturer selling both wholesale and retail. A company manufacturing furniture (Class 20) that also runs its own branded retail stores or website is, legally, doing two different things: making the goods, and providing a retail sales service. Class 20 protects the furniture itself; it does nothing to stop a competitor from opening a store under the same name and offering "retail furniture services," which falls under Class 35. Businesses that sell direct to consumers alongside manufacturing typically need both.
A brand with a physical product and an online/SaaS arm. A fitness-equipment brand (Class 28) that also launches a subscription workout app or platform is now operating in two classes: the equipment itself, and Class 41 (fitness training/education) or Class 42 (if the app is positioned as software-as-a-service) for the digital service. Filing only in Class 28 leaves the app name unprotected — a real gap if a competitor launches a similarly named app.
A restaurant selling packaged goods at retail. A restaurant chain (Class 43) that starts bottling and selling its own sauce or spice blend in stores has moved into Class 30 (the packaged food product itself) and possibly Class 35 (if it also runs retail operations for those products). This is exactly the kind of expansion that looks like a natural brand extension but sits completely outside the original registration's legal protection.

The reason this is a legal necessity rather than a formality is that trademark rights in India are defined class-by-class: a registration certificate lists the specific class(es) it covers, and that's the boundary of your exclusive right to the mark. A mark registered only in one class has, in the classes you didn't file, essentially the same legal standing as an unregistered mark — a competitor or a trademark squatter is free to register the identical name in an unclaimed class, and you would have no registration to point to in stopping them.

The benefit of filing correctly across every class a business actually operates in — or plans to, in the near term — is straightforward: comprehensive protection that tracks the real shape of the business, with no gap in an active channel or product line for a competitor to exploit. It costs more upfront, since each class carries its own government fee, but it's cheaper than discovering the gap after someone else has already filed in it.

Which class is my specific product or service in?

Class headings only go so far — a lot of real classification questions come down to a specific product, not a category. Here are answers for some products and services that don't fall exactly where you'd expect:

Don't see your product or service? The Nice Classification Finder covers any description, not just this list.

Choosing the right class(es)

Two mistakes show up repeatedly:

Filing too narrowly. A restaurant filing only in Class 43 (restaurant/food services) has no automatic protection in Class 30 if it later starts selling packaged spice blends at retail — a real scenario for hospitality brands that expand into product lines. Think about where the business is realistically headed over the life of the registration, not just what it does on day one.
Filing too broadly. Every additional class means an additional government fee — see the government fee breakdown — charged whether or not you ever actually use the mark in that class. Filing across classes you have no real plan to enter just adds ongoing cost without adding real protection.

A given product or service can also plausibly sit in more than one class depending on how it's actually offered — software might fall under Class 9 (downloadable software) or Class 42 (software as a service), depending on the delivery model — which is exactly the kind of judgment call worth getting individualized advice on rather than defaulting to a generic template class.

For where this fits in the overall filing sequence, see Step 2 of our trademark registration guide. Classification is a decision you'll live with for the life of the registration — see our guide to the full trademark lifecycle for what happens after filing.