Provisional Patent Application
A provisional application secures your filing date for a fraction of the cost and effort of a complete specification — and gives you twelve months to develop, test and raise money before committing further.
- Priority date secured on the day of filing
- 'Patent pending' status immediately
- Twelve months to file the complete specification
- Government fee from ₹1,600
- Government fee from
- ₹1,600
- Our fee from
- ₹24,999
- Typical timeline
- Within 12 months
Why founders file provisional first
India follows a first-to-file system. If two people independently create the same invention, the one who filed first gets the patent. A provisional application is the fastest and cheapest way to plant your flag on a date.
A provisional describes the invention but does not need the formal claim set of a complete specification. That makes it quicker to prepare and substantially cheaper — which matters when the invention is still evolving and you do not yet know which embodiments will matter commercially.
From the moment it is filed you can legitimately describe the product as 'patent pending', disclose the invention to investors, partners and customers, demonstrate it publicly, and begin commercialising — without destroying novelty.
The catch is the deadline. The complete specification must be filed within twelve months or the provisional lapses and the priority date is lost. And the priority date only covers what the provisional actually described: if the complete specification adds new matter, that matter gets the later date. A thin provisional therefore protects very little, which is why drafting quality matters even at this stage.
What provisional patent gives you
The practical advantages, not the marketing version.
Priority secured immediately
Your filing date is locked in on day one, ahead of anyone who files the same invention later.
Low cost to start
₹1,600 government fee for individuals, startups and MSMEs — a fraction of a complete filing.
Disclose without losing rights
Pitch to investors, demo at events and talk to manufacturers without destroying novelty.
Twelve months of runway
Time to test the market, refine the invention and decide whether full patenting is justified.
'Patent pending' from day one
A meaningful signal to investors, customers and competitors.
International options preserved
The twelve-month window is also your deadline for PCT or direct foreign filings claiming the same priority.
The process, step by step
Every stage, with realistic timelines — including the ones that depend on the registry rather than on us.
- 11–2 days
Invention disclosure
A structured session with a technical expert to capture what the invention is, how it works, and what makes it different.
- 22–3 days
Quick novelty check
A focused prior-art scan to confirm nothing obviously anticipates the invention before you file.
- 35–10 days
Provisional drafting
The specification is drafted to describe the invention broadly enough to cover foreseeable embodiments, with drawings where useful.
- 4Same day
Filing
Form 1 and Form 2 filed with the Patent Office. Priority date secured and 'patent pending' status begins the same day.
- 5Within 12 months
Complete specification
Within twelve months, the complete specification with full claims is drafted and filed to preserve the priority date.
What you need to provide
Have these ready and the filing moves quickly. We tell you if anything is missing before we start.
Invention details
- Written description of the invention and how it works
- Sketches, diagrams or flowcharts, even rough ones
- The technical problem being solved
- How it differs from existing solutions
- Any test results or prototype data available
Applicant and inventor
- Names, addresses and nationality of all inventors
- Applicant details — individual, startup or company
- Form 1, Form 2 (provisional) and Form 3
- Form 26 Power of Attorney
- Form 28 with Udyam or DPIIT proof to claim reduced fees
Official fees
These are statutory fees payable to the government, separate from our professional fee. We never mark them up.
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Provisional filing — individual, startup, MSME | ₹1,600 | Form 1 with provisional specification. |
| Provisional filing — company or other applicants | ₹8,000 | Form 1. |
| Complete specification within 12 months | Nil | No additional filing fee when converting. |
| Excess pages beyond 30 — individual, startup, MSME | ₹160 | Per page. |
The complete specification must be filed within twelve months of the provisional. There is no government fee for the conversion itself, but excess page and claim fees may apply.
Transparent professional fees
Fixed fees, quoted upfront. Government fees are charged at cost and shown separately on every invoice.
Provisional Filing
Priority date secured, professionally drafted.
- Invention disclosure session
- Focused prior-art scan
- Provisional specification drafted
- Drawings prepared
- Forms 1, 2, 3, 5 and 26 filed
- Twelve-month deadline docketed
Provisional + Search
File with a full patentability picture in hand.
- Everything in Provisional Filing
- Full patentability search
- Written novelty and inventive-step opinion
- Section 3 exclusion analysis
- Claim-scope strategy for the complete specification
Provisional to Grant
The full journey, from provisional through to granted patent.
- Everything in Provisional + Search
- Complete specification with full claims
- Request for examination filed
- FER reply drafted and filed
- Controller hearing representation
- Prosecution managed to grant
Questions we get asked
If your question is not here, send it over — we answer directly rather than routing you to a form.
How long is a provisional patent valid?
Does a provisional application give me patent rights?
Can I change the invention between provisional and complete?
Can I file a provisional myself?
Can I file more than one provisional for the same product?
Still unsure? Book a free consultation and we will tell you honestly whether this is the right service for you.
Ready to start your provisional patent?
Talk to an IP professional first. No obligation, no sales script — just a clear view of where you stand and what it will cost.