Telangana Assembly Dy Speaker calls for Unified Action against counterfeiting and smuggling

Hyderabad, June 30 (TNT): Telangana Assembly Deputy Speaker J. Ram Chander Naik on Tuesday called for a coordinated national strategy to tackle the growing menace of counterfeiting and smuggling, saying the twin threats have far-reaching economic, social and security implications.

Addressing a seminar on ‘Illicit Trade: A Unified Approach to Counter Smuggling and Counterfeiting’, organised by FICCI CASCADE, he said counterfeiting and smuggling were no longer merely economic offences but serious threats to consumer safety, legitimate businesses and national development.

“Addressing these challenges requires stronger policy support, effective enforcement and close collaboration among governments, industry and citizens, he said forums such as FICCI CASCADE play an important role in bringing stakeholders together to build awareness and develop a unified strategy against illicit trad.”

Rajiv Thampula, Additional Commissioner of Customs, Hyderabad Customs, said combating smuggling and counterfeiting remained central to the Customs Department’s mandate of protecting India’s economic interests and securing its borders.

He noted that such activities result in significant revenue losses, undermine legitimate trade, fuel organised crime and endanger consumer safety.

He said intelligence-led enforcement, robust border controls and coordination with national and international agencies were key to disrupting smuggling networks.

Bhaaskaran, Dy. Inspector General of Police, CI Cell, Intelligence Dept, Telangana, said smuggling and counterfeiting posed serious threats to the nation’s economy, public safety and national security.

He stressed the need for stronger intelligence sharing, enhanced inter-agency collaboration and continuous capacity building to improve enforcement capabilities.

Muralidharan, Past Chairman, FICCI Telangana State Council & Chairman, TMI Group, said illicit trade adversely affected every sector of the economy by undermining genuine businesses, discouraging innovation and creating an uneven business environment.

He called for collective action involving policymakers, enforcement agencies, industry and consumers to address the challenge.

Delivering a presentation on the landscape of illicit trade, P. C. Jha, IRS (Retd.), Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC),  said counterfeiting and smuggling were becoming increasingly sophisticated, making intelligence-led interventions, technology-driven solutions and greater public awareness essential to combat the problem effectively.

Speakers at the seminar highlighted that counterfeiting and smuggling continue to erode government revenues, weaken legitimate businesses, threaten consumer safety and strengthen illegal trade networks.

They called for stronger policy interventions, effective enforcement mechanisms and closer collaboration among government agencies, industry, law enforcement authorities and consumer organisations.

The seminar also featured a panel discussion on ‘Policies to Prevent Counterfeiting and Smuggling’, chaired by Deep Chand(Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Special Commissioner of Police, New Delhi), with participation from Prof. Bejon Kumar Misra, Founder, Consumer Online Foundation; Dr. Anant Sharma, National Chairman, Consumer Federation of India and other experts from industry, consumer organisations and enforcement agencies.

Summing up the deliberations, Deep Chand said the fight against illicit trade required strong partnerships among government, industry, law enforcement agencies and civil society, supported by sustained stakeholder engagement, capacity building and public awareness initiatives.

The seminar brought together senior government officials, policymakers, customs officers, law enforcement personnel, industry leaders, legal experts and consumer rights organisations to discuss emerging trends, policy priorities and collaborative strategies to curb counterfeiting and smuggling.

TNT TS