Numbering system - India

Document types and kind codes

18 month publication

• publication of application
• pre-grant opposition
• WIPO code: A

Publication of specification

• post-grant opposition (>2005)
• WIPO code: A1

Patent of addition

• published with a new number
• WIPO code: A7

Number formats

yyyyJTnnnnnn application numbers (> 2016) 

• four digits for year of filing (yyyy)
• one digit for the jurisdiction of the Indian Patent Offices (J)
• one digit for type of application (T)
• six digits for continuous running serial numbers for all Patent Offices in India (n)

J = jurisdictions of Indian Patent Offices:
1 = Delhi
2 = Mumbai
3 = Kolkata
4 = Chennai 

T = type of application:
1 = Ordinary Application
2 = Ordinary-Divisional Application
3 = Ordinary-Patent of Addition Application
4 = Convention Application
5 = Convention-Divisional Application
6 = Convention-Patent of Addition Application
7 = PCT National Phase Application
8 = PCT National Phase-Divisional Application
9 = PCT National Phase Patent of Addition Application 

nnnnn/LLL/yyyy    application numbers (> 1972)

• up to five digits for the serial number (n)
• three digits for the filing office/city code (L)
• four digits for the year (y)

(nnnnn/LLLNP*/yyyy  PCT application numbers >2003)
(IN/PCT/yyyy/nnnnn/LLL    PCT application numbers < 2003)

* NP for national phase

nnnnnn    publication numbers for granted patents (> 1912)

• up to six digits for the serial number (n)
• no city code
• no year

Publication of an application is not assigned a separate publication number and is published with the application number.