The Hindu Business Line : Machinery for counterfeit FMCG items seized

Dr Amit Mitra, Secretary General, FICCI, flanked by Mr Ashok Gupta, Vice-President, Legal, Hindustan Lever Ltd (left), and Mr Ashok Chhabra, Executive Director, Procter & Gamble, with the seized counterfeit products in the Capital on Tuesday. — Kamal Narang

New Delhi , Aug. 17

COUNTERFEITS and pass-offs continue to trouble the FMCG industry, with the Government estimated to lose close to Rs 900 crore per annum in unpaid excise duty, sales tax and other levies.

Disclosing this, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Secretary-General, Dr Amit Mitra, said that a raid conducted by the Delhi Police in collaboration with the chambers' Brand Protection Committee (BPC) during the weekend in the Capital uncovered Rs 5 crore worth of machinery and packaging materials being used to manufacture counterfeit products. These were being seized from the premises of Amin Printers.

He said that the raid seized several items including Rs 1.5 crore worth of sophisticated printing and hologram machinery imported from China, printing cylinders worth Rs 1.60 crore, holographic plates worth Rs 60 lakh of Sunsilk, Clinic Plus, Chik Shampoo and Ariel detergent.

Further, packaging material of popular FMCG brands worth Rs 1 crore was also seized, he said.

In addition, large quantities of packing material of Bajaj, Philips, Surya Roshini electrical products and Paan Parag, Baba, Goa, Manikchand gutka brands were found.

In fact, according to an AC Nielsen-ORG Marg study, the Capital acts as a distribution centre for approximately 70 per cent of counterfeits nationally and costs the consumer goods industry Rs 2,500 crore annually.

The number of products that need brand protection are not just confined to FMCGs and pharmaceuticals, but extend to steel, engine oils and even textiles, Dr Mitra said.

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