In India, military operation names like “Operation Sindoor” are not automatically protected as intellectual property by the government. The Ministry of Defence does not typically register or commercialize these names and they are not secured under any special statutory IP framework. As a result, unless the government expressly intervenes, such names remain open to trademark claims by private individuals or entities.
However, the Trade Marks Act, 1999 empowers the registry to reject trademarks that are misleading, offensive or contrary to public policy.
Under Sections 9(2) and Section 11, the registrar may deny a mark if it suggests a false association with national defense or could offend public sentiment. Despite this, there is currently no automatic bar against registering such terms unless challenged by the government or other interested parties.
