New Delhi: Industry experts have urged the implementation of stricter anti-counterfeiting laws and advanced traceability measures, warning that counterfeit products, mislabeled goods, and fraudulent certifications pose a serious threat to India’s reputation, particularly in sectors like pharmaceuticals, agriculture and FMCG.
Fake products not only compromise consumer safety but also diminish trust, potentially inviting stricter trade restrictions from global partners. To address this, experts called for stringent policies, real-time tracking systems, and industry-wide collaboration to strengthen anti-counterfeiting efforts.
The call for action came during the sixth edition of the Traceability and Authentication Forum (TAF 2025), a two-day event organised by the Authentication Solution Providers’ Association (ASPA). During the event, industry stakeholders from various sectors — particularly pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and FMCG — emphasized the urgent need for dedicated task forces, stricter penalties for counterfeit trade, and enhanced international collaboration on counterfeit prevention.
Speaking at the event, Abhishek Dev, IAS & Chairman of the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), stated, “Counterfeiting is a pervasive issue impacting various sectors, including agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, FMCG, and consumer goods. It not only threatens consumer safety but also undermines India’s trade credibility.”
“We look forward to strengthening these efforts with the integration of advanced authentication technologies such as holograms and QR codes to ensure product integrity,” the senior official added.
Stakeholders also highlighted the need to incentivize businesses to adopt modern authentication technologies to protect both domestic markets and exports. With rising global demand for high-quality, traceable products, they stressed that India is at a critical juncture to introduce world-class anti-counterfeiting measures.
