Search: public notice
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October 2026
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Trademark & IPDraft guidelines on design registration of GUIs and icons: registrable only when applied to an article; comments invited within 30 days
Comments within 30 daysComments invitedThe Patent Office has published draft Guidelines for Registration of Designs relating to GUI & Icon under the Designs Act, 2000. A GUI or icon shown on its own will not be registrable; it must be applied to an article such as a mobile phone or monitor. Stakeholders can send comments by e-mail within 30 days of the public notice.
September 2026
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Foreign TradeRaw-sugar TRQ holders get till 15 October to surrender unused quantity
15 OctExtendedHolders of the tariff rate quota for raw sugar may surrender any unused quantity up to 15 October 2026, on paying 0.5% of the CIF value of what they surrender.
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Foreign TradeRaw sugar: 10 lakh MT duty-free TRQ up to 31 October 2026; surrender of unutilised quota now allowed till 15 October 2026 — DGFT Notification No. 31/2026-27 and Public Notices
Surrender TRQ by 15 Oct 2026ExtendedDGFT allowed import of 10 lakh MT of raw sugar duty-free under a Tariff Rate Quota up to 31 October 2026, with a one-time option to convert Advance Authorisations under SION E-52 to the TRQ. A series of public notices set the modalities; the latest, of 30 September 2026, lets TRQ holders surrender unutilised quantity up to 15 October 2026 on payment of 0.5% of CIF value.
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Foreign TradeDGFT proposes to rewrite Para 2.93 of the Handbook of Procedures on non-preferential Rules of Origin, for exports and imports: Trade Notice 27/2026-27
Comments within 15 daysComments invitedDGFT has published a draft Public Notice that would replace Para 2.93 of the Handbook of Procedures, 2023 so that it prescribes non-preferential Rules of Origin for both exports and imports. For imports, the draft proposes origin by change in tariff heading or 35% value addition, declared by the importer through a self-declaration. Comments are invited within 15 days.
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Trademark & IPDesign applications: First Examination Reports to be sent only by e-mail from 2 October 2026; postal dispatch ordinarily stops
Design FER: e-mail onlyNew facilityThe Office of the CGPDTM has notified that, from 2 October 2026, First Examination Reports in design applications will ordinarily be communicated only to the e-mail address given in Form-1 under “Address for Service in India”. Physical dispatch by post is ordinarily discontinued from that date.
August 2026
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Trademark & IPTrade Marks Registry holds Friday hearings till December 2026 to close oppositions that are settled or to be withdrawn
Opposition drive: FridaysNew facilityThe Trade Marks Registry has begun a Special Disposal Drive for opposition proceedings where parties want to withdraw the application or opposition or have settled. Hearings are on every working Friday from 4 September till December 2026, in hybrid mode, taken up by the filing year of the trade mark application.
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Trademark & IPIP Office’s mandatory e-KYC: last date was 30 September 2026, and the notice called it the final extension
e-KYC: 30 Sept was finalExtendedBy a public notice dated 31 August 2026, the Office of the CGPDTM moved the last date for completing mandatory e-KYC from 31 August to 30 September 2026 and said no further extension would be granted. That date has now passed. An earlier notice had warned of inconvenience or disruption in availing the Office’s services.
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FSSAIFSSAI asks importers and customs brokers to declare the “NFG” qualifier in ICEGATE for non-food-grade items, so the Bill of Entry is not routed to FSSAI
Declare “NFG” in ICEGATEClarifiedFSSAI says a large number of Bills of Entry for non-food-grade items — especially goods with both food and non-food use under the same HSN code — are being routed to it for clearance. By a public notice dated 10 August 2026, it advises importers and customs brokers to declare the qualifier “NFG” while filing Bills of Entry under Single Window, so that the SWIFT system routes the entry correctly.
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Foreign TradeWheat export quota holders asked for CA-certified utilisation and requests for extra or surrendered quantity by 31 August 2026: DGFT Trade Notice 18/2026-27
Details by 31 August 2026Action neededDGFT is reviewing how much of the wheat export quota allocated under Public Notices 49/2025-26 and 05/2026-27 has been used. Authorisation holders for HS codes 10011900 and 10019910 had to send a Chartered Accountant’s utilisation certificate and any request for additional or surrendered quantity by 31 August 2026. Quota used below 50% may go to a common pool.
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Foreign TradeTRQ applications: India–UK CETA last date extended to 9 August 2026 (Public Notice 26/2026-27); India–Oman CEPA window for FY 2026-27 was 4–19 August (Public Notice 24/2026-27)
TRQ: UK CETA, Oman CEPAExtendedTwo DGFT public notices on Tariff Rate Quota. Public Notice 26/2026-27 extended the last date for online TRQ applications under the India–UK CETA for CY 2026 up to 9 August 2026. Public Notice 24/2026-27 invited TRQ applications under the India–Oman CEPA for FY 2026-27 from 4 to 19 August 2026 on 30 tariff lines, with product-specific documents for marble and PET flakes.
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Foreign TradeInventory-based cross-border e-commerce framework made operational; ANF-9A notified for registration of Exporters-on-Record: DGFT Public Notice 25/2026-27
ANF-9A for Exporter-on-RecordNew facilityDGFT has inserted paras 9.03 to 9.07 in Chapter 9 of the Handbook of Procedures to operationalise the Inventory-based Cross-border E-Commerce Facilitation Framework, and notified ANF-9A for registration as Exporter-on-Record. The procedures cover inventory records, seller visibility, returns, a yearly compliance certificate and dispute resolution, with immediate effect.
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Foreign TradeSeven new SIONs A-3708 to A-3714 notified for pharma products including Meropenem and Liraglutide: DGFT Public Notice No. 23/2026-27
SION A-3708 to A-3714New facilityDGFT has notified seven new Standard Input Output Norms, A-3708 to A-3714, under “Chemical and Allied Product” (Product Code ‘A’). They cover Theophylline, a Liraglutide pen injection, Lumefantrine, three strengths of Meropenem injection and ophthalmic solutions. Regional Authorities can now grant Advance Authorisations for these directly.
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