Counterfeiting in technological industries such as computer hardware and mobile phones caused a cumulative loss of Rs 1,503 crore (€14 billion/$15 billion) from 2013 to 2014 for the companies involved.
U. K. Gupta said at the AGM of the Indian version of the Authentication Solution Providers Association (ASPA) in Goa that billions could be saved by authenticating goods using holograms and tamper-proof seals, The New India Express reported. He predicts that without major measures being taken counterfeiting will “grow beyond imagination and will cause a very substantial loss to the Indian government, industry and may impact the health of consumers, as well as in their belief in Made in India products”.
Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), especially packaged drinking water, are among the most counterfeited in India. But there has been some success in clamping down on counterfeiting: “The usage of authentication solutions in states like Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh has […] increased excise revenue collections by more than 15 to 20 percent on a year-on-year basis.
“States like Bihar, Goa, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Rajasthan were not using any authentication solutions [until recently]. It will help these states in curbing the inter-state smuggling of liquor which happens due to difference in excise duty rates.”
Nearly 70 manufacturers of authentication solution providers in India are ASPA members, which is also affiliated with global groups such as the International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA), the Counterfeit Intelligence Bureau (CIB) and Interpol. Its members safeguard over 10,000 brands worldwide by identifying genuine products and documents.