Rules 1 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Rules 1 to 3 open the Rules. Rule 1 gives the short title, extent and commencement; rule 2 defines seven terms; rule 3 explains "principal place of business in India", which decides at which Registry office an application is filed. The Rules were made by G.S.R. 892(E) under the rule-making power in section 96 of the Act.
This article reflects the Rules as amended up to G.S.R. 689(E) dated 14 September 2012 (the only amendment). Check sicldr.gov.in for later notifications. The Rules were made on 10 December 2001; section 96 of the Act, which gives the power to make rules, was brought into force on 1 May 2011. For a chip-design company deciding where to file, a legal consultation can apply rule 3 to your office set-up.
The Rules are the Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Rules, 2001; they extend to the whole of India and come into force on the commencement of the Act. "Form" means a form in Schedule II. "Principal place of business in India" is, for a person carrying on a semiconductor or layout-design business, the one place where it is carried on or the place the person names if there are several; otherwise the place of other business; and for a person with no business in India, the place of residence in India.
The notification
The Rules begin with the preamble to G.S.R. 892(E): "In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) read with sub-section (2) of section 96 of the Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Act, 2000 (37 of 2000), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules". The Act's rule-making power is explained in sections 93 to 96. The Rules have 105 rules, three Schedules and a series of forms; our series covers them all.
Rule 1: short title, extent and commencement
| Sub-rule | Text |
|---|---|
| 1(1) | "These rules may be called the Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Rules, 2001" |
| 1(2) | "They extend to the whole of India" |
| 1(3) | "They shall come into force on the date of the commencement of the Act" |
Rule 1(3) refers to "the commencement of the Act". The Act was brought into force in stages (sections 3 and 5 from 1 May 2004; most sections from 1 May 2011; sections 93 and 94 from 15 January 2014). The Rules do not say which of those dates is meant. The Act's own section 1(3) says a reference in a provision to the commencement of the Act means the coming into force of that provision, but rule 1(3) is a rule, not a provision of the Act. One neutral fact: the Rules are dated 10 December 2001, and the rule-making power in section 96 came into force on 1 May 2011. Our article on section 1 sets out the dates. The Registry works under these Rules today; its website invites applications and lists the forms with their fees.
Rule 2: definitions
| Clause | Term | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 2(a) | Act | The Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Act, 2000 (37 of 2000) |
| 2(b) | Form | A form set out in Schedule II |
| 2(c) | journal | The Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Journal published by the Registrar of Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Designs |
| 2(d) | layout-design no. | The registration number of the layout-design registered under the Act |
| 2(e) | Registry | The Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Registry |
| 2(f) | Schedule | A Schedule to the Rules |
| 2(g) | Section | A section of the Act |
Two small points. The "journal" in rule 2(c) is called the Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Journal, while the Act's definition of "notify" in section 2(j) speaks of the "Semiconductor Integrated Circuit Journal"; the two names differ slightly, and both refer to the Registrar's journal. And "Form" means a form in Schedule II, while Schedule III carries the official forms issued by the Registry; the Rules' later articles explain both sets of forms. The "layout-design no." in clause (d) is the number given on registration and is the number used to identify a layout-design on the register.
Rule 3: principal place of business in India
The definition has three tiers.
(i) A person who carries on the business of semiconductor integrated circuits or layout-design:
- (a) if the business is carried on in India at only one place, that place; or
- (b) if at more places than one, "the place mentioned by him as the principal place of business in India".
(ii) A person who is not carrying on such a business:
- (a) if carrying on any other business in India at only one place, that place; or
- (b) if at more places than one, the place he mentions as the principal place of the business in India.
(iii) A person who does not carry on any business in India but has a place of residence in India: that place of residence.
| Person | Principal place of business in India |
|---|---|
| Fabless company with one office in India | That office |
| Chip company with offices in two cities | The place it mentions |
| Trading company that does not deal in chips or layout-designs, with one office | That office |
| Foreign design house with no business in India but an executive's residence in India | That residence |
| Foreign design house with no business and no residence in India | None, so the address for service in India is used (see Rules 16 to 20) |
The last row follows from the Act's section 8(2), which switches to the address for service when the applicant does not carry on business in India. Rule 3(iii) is wider, in that a residence in India counts if there is no business anywhere in India. The rule does not say how a place is "mentioned"; the application is where it is stated. Why it matters: the principal place of business fixes the "appropriate office" for filing, covered in Rules 4 to 9.
A worked example
A Pune-based fabless start-up with a design centre in Pune and a sales office in Bengaluru carries on its business at more than one place in India. Under rule 3(i)(b), its principal place of business in India is the place it mentions as such. It states Pune in the application. A Singapore design house with no business in India but a director's residence in Delhi falls under rule 3(iii) and the residence counts. If the same Singapore house had no residence in India, it would have no principal place of business in India.
Need help with where to file and who you are?
For a group with several offices or a foreign company working with an Indian partner, deciding the principal place of business and the address for service is the first step. Our legal consultation team can walk through it with you before you file.
Key takeaways
- The Rules extend to the whole of India and come into force on the commencement of the Act.
- "Form" means a form in Schedule II.
- A business in semiconductor circuits or layout-design has its principal place where it is carried on, or where it says it is if there are several places.
- Otherwise another business place counts; failing that, a residence in India.
- The Rules have been amended once, by G.S.R. 689(E) of 14 September 2012.
Read next
- Sections 93 to 96: convention countries and the rule-making power
- Rules 4 to 9: the appropriate office
- Rules 10 and 11: fees and forms
Disclaimer: Based on the Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Act, 2000 (never amended; commencement as notified in 2004, 2011 and 2014) and the Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Rules, 2001 as amended by G.S.R. 689(E) of 14 September 2012, as consulted on 3 October 2026. Check sicldr.gov.in for later notifications and current forms and fees. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.