Around 35 per cent Indians encountered fake products in the last one year. The most glaring finding was that almost nine out of 10 urban consumers admitted to having purchased a counterfeit product at least once in their lifetime. These findings were recently revealed in a report “State of Counterfeiting in India 2025 at TAF Connect 2026, at an authentication and brand protection industry conclave. The report was jointly brought out by the Authentication Solution Providers' Association (ASPA), in collaboration with CRISIL. The report pointed out that counterfeiting remains deeply entrenched in India’s consumer markets.
The report was based on a nationwide study, based on a consumer survey of 1,639 respondents across nine major Indian cities namely Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Indore. The survey highlighted the growing scale, changing channels, and increasing consumer awareness regarding counterfeit products across multiple industries. The report covers key sectors including pharmaceuticals, FMCG, automotive parts, apparel, consumer durables, and agro-products.
As per the report the apparel sector emerged as one of the most affected categories, with 31 per cent of consumers reporting that they encountered or purchased counterfeit apparel in the past 12 months, reflecting the high prevalence of fake fashion products in both online and offline markets. In the FMCG sector, counterfeiting is increasingly visible even in daily-use consumer goods, said the report. Around 27 per cent of consumers reported encountering counterfeit FMCG products within the last year, indicating risks in everyday household products such as packaged food, personal care, and home care items.
As far as the automotive parts is concerned the report observed that counterfeit automotive components posed serious safety concerns. Nearly 22 per cent of respondents reported encountering counterfeit automotive parts, highlighting the risks associated with fake spare parts in the vehicle replacement market.
In the consumer durables space the fast-growing appliances and electronics segment is also equally vulnerable. About 18 per cent of consumers reported encountering counterfeit consumer durable products, with over half of such exposure occurring through online channels. In the pharma segment too counterfeit medicines are estimated to account for around 28 per cent of the market, raising serious public health concerns. The report found that counterfeit agro-products continued to threaten farm productivity and rural incomes. The study indicated that 35 per cent of farmers have encountered counterfeit agro-products, and farmers estimate that close to 30 per cent of agro-inputs available in the market may be counterfeit, raising concerns for crop yield, farmer trust, and food security.
“Ninety-three per cent of consumers think more awareness campaigns are needed, even though two-third of them feel confident about identifying a counterfeit product. This gap between awareness and action points to the need for concerted effort from the government, manufacturers, distributors, retailers and consumers working together to combat counterfeiting,” remarked Anjali Nathwani, Director, Crisil Intelligence.
The study highlighted the growing role of digital commerce in the distribution of counterfeit products. The report found that online aggregator platforms accounted for 53 per cent of counterfeit purchases, making them the largest channel. In a similar manner local retail outlets remained dominant for agro-products and pharmaceuticals.
Social media advertisements are emerging as a major channel, especially for apparel (and consumer electronics. The report observes that despite widespread exposure, consumer attitudes toward counterfeits are gradually shifting. Counterfeit products are perceived to be around 22 per cent cheaper than genuine goods.
However, only 36 per cent of consumers cite price as the primary reason for purchasing counterfeit products. Encouragingly, consumers are willing to pay an average 9 per cent premium for guaranteed genuine products, with higher willingness in pharmaceuticals and agro-products. As per the study. 50 per cent of consumers say they would file a complaint if they received a counterfeit product, reflecting rising consumer awareness and intolerance toward fake goods.
“Counterfeiting is a global menace that adversely affects the economy of almost every country. Not only are counterfeit goods a risk to consumers' health and well-being, but they also distort market competition, damage legitimate producers and cause tax revenue losses for governments. In India, counterfeiting incidents have increased over the past three years, with counterfeiters becoming increasingly sophisticated and better funded,” remarked Ankit Gupta, President, ASPA.