At least 20 applications to trademark the phrases Operation Sindoor and Ops Sindoor have been filed with India’s Trademark Registry in categories such as entertainment, media, advertising, and telecommunications.

A search conducted on the Indian government’s IP India website shows that, as of May 19, 23 trademark applications, including the now-withdrawn application filed by Reliance Industries Ltd, are listed in categories ranging from food products to cosmetics, and clothing to entertainment services.

The filings came just days after Indian armed forces launched “Operation Sindoor” on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure across the border in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation was named in tribute to the grieving wives of victims of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, many of whom were seen wearing sindoor, the traditional mark of marriage, in haunting images that resonated nationwide.

Among the Indian applicants are corporations, small businesses, and individuals. The filings span classification sections 1 (chemicals), 3 (cosmetics), 5 (pharmaceuticals), 9 (scientific), 19 (construction materials), 25 (clothing), 29 and 30 (food items), 32 (beverages), 35 (advertising), and 41 (entertainment and education).

While Reliance Industries Limited was among the earliest to file a trademark application under Class 41, it promptly withdrew the filing, clarifying that the application had been made “inadvertently” by a junior employee. In a statement posted on its official X account, the company described “Operation Sindoor” as a phrase that symbolises Indian bravery and which should not be commercialised.

But other applicants persist. Filings include those by Vedashree Labs Pvt Ltd, Dinesh Kumar Rathore, and Prabhleen Sandhu operating as Almighty Motion Picture, all seeking to use the phrase for entertainment-related services. Two of the earliest applications filed under Class 41 for entertainment and education were filed by retired Group Captain Kamal Singh Oberh and Mukesh Chetram Agarwal. While Obreh’s application has cleared the formalities check phase, Agarwal’s application has been sent for numerical codification.

Another more recent application has been filed by an individual proprietor, one Jayaraj T, seeking to register the phrase, ‘OPERATION SINDOOR – SINDOORA YUDDHAM under Class 9. There is also another application under Class 9 seeking to register the phrase ‘OPS-SINDOOR,’ filed by a firm named Jet Synthesis.

As per the website, several of these applications have crossed the initial verification stage , signifying that the initial review of the application has been successfully completed. Several others are pending at the stage of code assignment under the Vienna Codification that is an internation system of classification for trademarks.

Reliance’s application number 6994264 to register the term “Operation Sindoor” under Class 41 is now shown as withdrawn on the website.

Legal experts say that the trademarking of a military operation’s codename, particularly something that is linked to a national tragedy such as the Pahalgam terror attack, can face hurdles. In India, while the Ministry of Defence does not automatically claim intellectual property rights over military operation names, the Trade Marks Act, 1999, empowers authorities to reject applications that they believe are misleading, offensive, or contrary to public order or morality.

A recent social media post by the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (CGPDTM) expressed strong disapproval of the “Operation Sindoor” trademark filings, indicating they may be rejected .

Section 9(2)(d) of the Act restricts names prohibited under the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950, particularly those implying government patronage. Clause 7 of the Act’s schedule bans use of any name suggesting a connection with the Indian government or its agencies.

Despite this, unless the government formally objects or intervenes, these trademark applications remain under consideration.