Past Events

April 27-28, 2023, North-Eastern Police Academy, Umiam, Meghalaya

It is a well-known fact that due to the ease of market entry and potential for infiltration, law enforcement agencies, such as the police, have a crucial responsibility in safeguarding and implementing measures to protect the rights of public. FICCI CASCADE has been actively involved in imparting training to equip law enforcement officials with the knowledge of relevant laws and empower them to take necessary actions against smugglers and counterfeiters. With this objective, FICCI CASCADE organized two-day program on April 27-28, 2023 at the North-Eastern Police Academy to raise awareness among Northeast police officers regarding the necessity of combating the socio-economic harms caused by illicit trade. Illicit trade is a perilous menace to the economy and poses a threat to people’s lives.

Mr. Pawan Kumar Sharma, Deputy Assistant Director, Police Science, NEPA mentioned that tackling the crimes of illicit trade has been a major concern for nations for decades. The north-eastern police forces have always been on their toes to capture the criminals who are operating the illegal market. The police department holds a crucial position in upholding law and order and safeguarding lawful businesses from illicit market operators as the primary law enforcement agency in our nation.

Mr. Sharma stated that at NEPA we are engaged in shaping police officers for equitable, effective and sensitive policing. It is dedicated to teaching the police personnel of Northeastern states and from across the country to safeguard the value of freedom from disorder, criminal acts and criminals.

Mr. P C Jha, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) in his address, accentuated that illicit trade has a significant adverse effect on security, environment, health, safety and economy. It is a criminal activity with high profits and low risks. Virtually every illicit product is available in the market without exception. Mr. Jha emphasized that the lack of sufficient penalties and prolonged legal processes for prosecution and adjudication fail to deter illicit market operators effectively.

Practical Aspects of Investigation of Counterfeiting and Smuggling were discussed by Mr. Deep Chand IPS, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Special Commissioner of Police, New Delhi. He stated that the growing intensity of smuggling and counterfeiting is posing a significant risk for knowledge-based, open & globalized economies. NEPA is one of the best police training academies of India which has been imparting training to the police fraternity of north-east states. The police officers of NEPA are proactive in intercepting the movement of smuggled products and are taking a definitive step towards putting the fear in the hearts of smugglers who deal in illicit trade activities. He appreciated the untiring efforts of the officers for successful interception of products such as illicit cigarettes, liquor, currency, contrabands and many more in the recent past in the Northeastern states.

Industry issues and collaborative actions which are needed to counter such economic offences were discussed by Mr. Pradeep Dixit, Executive Vice President – Industry Affairs, ITC Ltd. and Mr. Milind Palany, Senior Manager, Global Brand Protection, Southern Asia and ANZ Cluster, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health.

“India’s illegal cigarette market is the world’s fourth largest and is expanding rapidly, making it imperative to increase awareness and sensitize individuals within society”, said Mr. Dixit. He also opined that raising widespread awareness among consumers is a crucial way to reduce the dangers associated with the increasing prevalence of illegal trade.

Mr. Palany also addressed illicit activities such as smuggling, counterfeiting and tax evasion as unlawful economic operations. He said that such practices result in reduced government revenues which could be used to fund crucial public services, while simultaneously uprooting millions of lawful jobs and causing harm to both public health and safety. In order to curb the menace of counterfeiting, illicit trade & illegal parallel import, it is important to strengthen enforcement and stop this menace at the border itself, he added.

Mr. Jitender Kumar Dwivedi, Deputy Director, North-Eastern Police Academy accentuated that India, as a rising economic superpower need to take offences related to counterfeiting and smuggling very seriously and police has a significant role in fighting this menace. For, a police officer investigating cases involving smuggling and counterfeiting, it is crucial to comprehend the potential outcomes of their actions on the ground. This understanding is necessary to make informed decisions and take appropriate measures, emphasized Mr. Dwivedi.

The programme witnessed an enthusiastic participation of over 400 officers including (DySPs, cadets and sub inspectors) from different states of Assam, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

Date: 6 April 2023 | R D S College, Muzaffarpur, Bihar

FICCI CASCADE organised a seminar on “Preventive Strategies to Combat Counterfeiting and Smuggling” on 5th April 2023 to raise awareness and outreach amongst the policy makers, industry, media and enforcement officials in building a proactive strategy to curb this growing menace of counterfeiting and smuggling. The winners of the competition were awarded at the seminar. 

Mr. Gopal Meena, Commissioner, Muzaffarpur, Govt of Bihar was the chief guest at the programme. Mr. Meena highlighted that counterfeiting and smuggling poses significant health and safety threats to consumers and such awareness programs will play a paramount role in protecting them from the hazards posed by illicit trade. He stated that before buying any product consumers should check the originality of the product by using advanced technological solutions such as bar codes, QR codes, holograms etc. He further urged them to take strong and effective measures to combat this growing menace.

Mr. Pankaj Sinha, Inspector General of Police, Bihar in his address stated that smuggling and counterfeiting impacts the economic stability of the country. India has vast porous borders which further adds to the problem of smuggling. Mr. Sinha mentioned that effective enforcement action, increased border management, better surveillance mechanisms, latest technology, enhanced consumer awareness and more youth engagement are few measures to address the twin hazards of smuggling and counterfeiting.

Mr. Pranav Kumar, Collector, Muzaffarpur opined that awareness is the key in eradicating the growing menace of illicit trade impacting our day-to-day life, which needs to be addressed on a priority. He emphasized to ask a bill while making a purchase to safeguard the consumers from being duped by illicit market operators. Mr. Kumar congratulated FICCI CASCADE for taking the initiative to spread knowledge and empower the public by organizing such an enlightening seminar in the state of Bihar.

While giving the overview on smuggling and counterfeiting, Mr. P C Jha, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) highlighted that they are a huge area of concern as it impacts the health and safety of the general public, along with revenue losses to industry and tax losses to the government. The individuals engaged in such illicit trading activities have established criminal networks that have expanded globally. Mr. Jha apprised that staying vigilant is the need of the hour for fighting the menace of smuggling & counterfeiting.

Mr. Rajiva Ranjan Verma, Former Director General, RPF, NCRB, Civil Defense, Home Guard & Fire Services and BPR&D accentuated that by raising awareness about the harmful impact of illicit trade, we can keep the public informed and educated about the dangers and consequences of illicit trade. Mr. Verma mentioned that undoubtedly, the vision and support of youth is paramount in freeing the nation from the grip of illicit trade.

FICCI CASCADE is implementing various measures to raise widespread awareness in society about the grave danger of smuggling and counterfeiting, with the aim of preventing their detrimental impact. FICCI CASCADE has arranged a series of programmes throughout the country to underscore the escalating threat of illegal trade and to promote effective preventive measures to tackle this issue.

5 April 2023 | R D S College, Muzaffarpur, Bihar

FICCI CASCADE acknowledges that the youth of our nation have a crucial role to play in addressing illicit trade. As the future leaders of our society, they are invested in creating a safer, more just, and prosperous society by combatting the harmful impact of illicit trade. With the objective to sensitize the young minds on the need to fight against illicit trade which brings havoc to the entire society, FICCI CASCADE organized a youth awareness programme on the theme “Role of Youth in Making India Free from Smuggling & Counterfeiting” at R D S College, Muzaffarpur, Bihar on 5th April 2023. 

The programme was divided into three competitions: Painting, Extempore and Jingle Writing. The competition witnessed enthusiastic participation of over 350 students from various educational institutions of Muzaffarpur. The competition showcased an enormous sight of young budding minds exhibiting their skills in eliminating the threat of illicit trade from the nation. The objective of the competition was to increase awareness among the youth of the country and encourage their support in reinforcing our efforts to combat illicit trade.

The competition was judged by various teachers from different schools of Muzaffarpur. The list of the winners are as follows:

February 21, 2023 | Dimapur, Nagaland

Assam Rifles is committed to working with all central and state agencies to combat illegal trade and smuggling in the North-east. FICCI CASCADE lauds Assam Rifles’ successful interception of products such as illicit cigarettes, liquor, currency, contrabands and many more in the recent past in the Northeastern states. To engage and sensitize the officers on the subject of counterfeiting and smuggling, FICCI CASCADE organised a Capacity Building Programme for the officers of Assam Riffles on 21st February 2023 at Assam Rifles Training Centre & School, Dimapur, Nagaland.

Brigadier S K Sheoran, YSM, SM, Deputy Inspector General, Assam Rifles Training, Centre and School, Dimapur, Nagaland was the chief guest at the programme. Brigadier Sheoran stated that the government has given power to the Assam Rifles under the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances (NDPS), Act to keep a check on the ongoing increase in drug trafficking in the North-Eastern states. Drugs, cigarettes, arms and ammunition and betel nuts are few products which are frequently smuggled into our country. There is a need for stringent punishment and to inculcate a fear of law enforcement agencies and law and order to curtail the problem of illicit trade.

Brigadier Sheoran cited that the only way to stop smuggling at the border is to stay alert and have suspicious eye on everything coming in the country especially because of the porous and unfenced border India share with Myanmar, added Brigadier Sheoran. He apprised that smuggling and counterfeit trade hold back progress, impact health of the economy and create safety hazards for consumers. Therefore, significant steps should be taken against illicit traders to battle the menace of smuggling.

While giving an overview on socio-economic impact of counterfeiting and smuggling, Mr Deep Chand, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Special Commissioner of Police, New Delhi mentioned that Assam Rifles proactive vigilance in intercepting the movement of smuggled products is a definitive step towards putting the fear in the hearts of smugglers who deal in illicit trade activities. “The capacity building program is aimed to sensitize the officers of Assam Rifles on the gravity of the issue and amplify the need for a greater focus on combatting smuggling and related crimes at the border”, said Mr. Chand.

Mr. Avinash Sinha, Regional, Manager, Industry Affairs (East), ITC Ltd. accentuated that among the illicit & smuggled goods, cigarettes have emerged as one of the most lucrative products, witnessing the highest jump in the recent past, and it accounts for 1/3rd of the legal cigarette market in the country. It calls for heightened surveillance and stricter enforcement to curb the menace of illegal cigarettes in India added, Mr. Sinha.

Mr. Milind Palany, Senior Manager, Global Brand Protection, Southern Asia and ANZ, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health opined that in India smuggling, counterfeiting, tax evasion and illicit trade is impacting legitimate economic activity. It also deprives the government’s revenues for investment in vital public services, dislocating millions of legitimate jobs and causing irreversible damage to ecosystems and human lives. This is critical at a time when India is making strong progress to become a manufacturing hub for the world, supporting innovation in every sector and focusing on people-centric development models.

Ms. Shamin Marwah Anand, Legal Manager, Marico Limited talked about the consequences of counterfeits, which are considerable, and they affect industry, consumers, government and society. “Individual consumers purchasing counterfeit goods are denied the use of safe and genuine products, especially if they believe they are purchasing legitimate products. In addition to legitimate loss of sales, companies may suffer loss of reputation from poorly performing counterfeit product and that finally entities like government may suffer from loss of revenue, societies may suffer risks to public health and safety”, said Ms. Anand.

The programme witnessed an enthusiastic participation of more than 500 officers from across the north-eastern states.

February 11, 2023 | The Lalit, New Delhi

Smuggling is a global problem, impacting countries and regions across the globe. Governments around the world have taken various decisive measures to combat smuggling, including strengthening border security, implementing stricter trade regulations, and increasing international cooperation to disrupt criminal networks. However, smuggling continues to be a significant challenge that needs immediate attention. In order to address the critical issue of smuggling and reinforce our commitment to raise awareness and foster collaboration CASCADE successfully organized the second edition of Anti-Smuggling Day on 11th February 2023 in New Delhi.

Mr. Mohan Kumar Singh, Director General, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) was the chief guest at the programme. While addressing the conference he highlighted that the enormity of smuggling can be gauged from the fact that DRI seizes more than Rs 1,000 crore of contraband every month, the majority being narcotics and drugs. Smuggling is carried out in our country by the land, sea and air route via different modes- containers, porous borders, usage of sophisticated means by smugglers etc. Mr. Singh cited that today, smugglers are using sophisticated methods and technologies to smuggle goods across international borders. Illicit trade in terms of counterfeiting and smuggling is a global risk that has negative impacts on economic activities, deprives governments of revenue, forces a high burden on taxpayers, exposes customers to dangerous products and provides linkages to terrorism. He emphasized that the Think Tanks like FICCI CASCADE can play an important role in generating fresh ideas, creating awareness, and highlighting the problems of smuggling.

Mr. P K Das, Director, Compliance and Facilitation Directorate, World Customs Organisation (WCO) in the keynote address mentioned that as per UNCTAD smuggling drains 3 per cent of the world’s economy and results in a loss of 2 trillion dollars. Mr. Das opined that to address smuggling WCO has unveiled a three- year strategic plan (2022-25) with a focus in the areas of illicit trade. WCO has also launched a data strategy to nurture and reengineer new processes, incorporate modern disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, machine learning, drone, robotics etc. Highlighting the importance of sharing best practices to tackle smuggling, Mr. Das shared his insights on the advanced analytics used by CBIC (Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs) to detect fraud in indirect taxation domain in India which was showcased to WCO members as part of disseminating best practices. WCO has been applying technology to improve the seamless flow of information and statistics and real-time intelligence sharing amongst custom agencies.

Speaking on the importance of Anti-Smuggling Day, Mr. Anil Rajput, Chairman, FICCI CASCADE stated that a year ago, on this day, FICCI CASCADE, took the lead and marked the launch of Anti-Smuggling Day on 11th February. On that day we pledged to leave no stone unturned in raising awareness and resolved to take concerted action against this multi-faceted adversary. Mr. Rajput urged the United Nations to recognize and declare 11th February as Anti-Smuggling Day which will significantly encourage international cooperation and coordination in efforts to tackle this issue, as well as provide an effective platform for discussing and addressing the root cause and consequences of smuggling. This recognition will also provide greater thrust for nations to come together to find solutions and combat this global problem.

During the conference, FICCI CASCADE released a report on ‘Regulatory Interventions and Illicit Trade Across Border- Impact on Six Key Industries’. The study examines the impact of tariff and non-tariff regulatory measures on illicit trade in the six key industries namely Alcoholic Beverages, Consumer Electronics, FMCG – Packaged Foods, FMCG-Household & Personal Goods, Mobile Phones and Tobacco Products.
As a run-up to this year’s Anti-Smuggling Day, and to sensitize the youth on the menace of smuggled goods, FICCI CASCADE also organized a Digital Art/Poster making competition on the theme, ‘Stand Against Smuggling’. Winners of the competition were given awards during the conference.

Mr. Deep Chand IPS, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Special Commissioner of Police, New Delhi highlighted that to battle this menace, it is important that we work together, across borders and sectors, to disrupt the networks and supply chains that supports smuggling. This requires strong laws, and effective enforcement actions, as well as the cooperation of all relevant stakeholders, including governments, businesses, and civil society.

Mr. Najib Shah, Former Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs and Think Tank Member, FICCI CASCADE chaired the panel discussion on “Combat Smuggling to Foster National Security and Economic Development”. While chairing the session he stated that 11th February aims to spread awareness and bring on board all enforcement agencies together to understand the extend of the problem and think of ways and means for greater cooperation and coordination. Mr. Shah mentioned that if global organisation like United Nations will recognise Anti-Smuggling Day, we would be able to solve the greater purpose and win our battle against smuggling.

Panellist, Mr. Balesh Kumar, Member, Appellate Tribunal-SAFEMA, Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance stated that smuggling is a multidimensional issue and has serious impact on economic and national security of the country. There are four steps that can be taken for creating a meaningful impact to curb smuggling: legislative upgradation in the context of present dynamics of smuggling; second, effect policy changes in sectors that are vulnerable to smuggling; third, use of successful technology risk management measures and fourth, to strengthen resources including equipment and manpower to manage operational issues while combating smuggling.

During the discussion, Mr A M Kulkarni, Additional Director General, National Investigation Agency said that smuggling not only causes money arbitrage but also fuels terrorism as funds earned from such activities are funnelled back to countries which foster terrorism and in turn impact national safety and security. Mr. Ayush Mani Tiwari, IPS, Inspector General- Operations, Border Security Force and Mr. Manish Kumar Negi, Deputy Inspector General, Indian Coast Guard also shared their views in the panel discussion on achieving significant level of inter-agency and international cooperation to combat smuggling and shared methods to formulate prohibitive, combative, and curative measures to control smuggling.

Mr. Anil Sinha, Former Director, Central Bureau of Investigation and Think Tank Member, FICCI CASCADE chaired the panel discussion on “Strengthening the Global Strategy to Combat Smuggling- Achieving Coordinated Actions and Solutions”. Mr. Sinha explained that in the recent times, we have seen the use of disruptive technology which has been building a new ecosystem. He highlighted the use of blockchain for identifying products, numerical identities and bringing together various facets of the trade. He added that the enforcement agencies can come on a common platform, discuss, adopt best practices, and share the need for skill development and upgradation.

Mr. Gautam Shrinivasan, Anchor, CNBC moderated the panel discussion. The other eminent panellists who highlighted the need for real-time data analysis and sharing of intelligence to effectively tackle the problem of smuggling include Ms. Joanne Prior, Counsellor (Australian Border Force), Australian High Commission; Mr. Marco Teixeira, Regional Representative- South Asia, UNODC, Mr. Jason Gooding, Assistant Attache, Homeland Security Investigations, US Embassy and Mr. Rameesh Kailasam, CEO, IndiaTech.org (Technology Services Industry Association). They enunciated effective measures to combat and prosecute offences related to smuggling and emphasized on international and domestic cooperation to combat this global scourge.

Dr. D P Dash, Former Pr. Director-General, DRI, Former Chairman, Enforcement Committee, World Customs Organisation (WCO) and Think Tank Member, FICCI CASCADE during his concluding remarks stated that increasing significance of inter-agency and international cooperation for combating smuggling through better exchange of information and experiences will also help in strengthening national security. The conference witnessed an overwhelming response by more than 300 industry captions, representatives from consumer forums, enforcement agencies, government officials, legal experts amongst others.

11^th January 2023| Chhattisgarh

FICCI CASCADE organised a Capacity Building Programme for the Police Officers of Chhattisgarh on 11th January 2023 in Raipur. The training programme aimed at highlighting the paramount role of police officials in liberating the nations from the clutches of illicit trade.

While addressing the ‘Capacity Building Programme for Police Officers on Prevention of Counterfeiting and Smuggling’ Mr Ratan Lal Dangi IPS, Director, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose State Police Academy stated that the problem of smuggling and counterfeiting is not only confined to India but is impacting the world. Police, being the primary enforcement body is playing an important role in enforcing laws and is continuously working for the nation building to foster economic growth. Mr. Dangi mentioned that counterfeiters and smugglers are not only hurting the economy of our country but are posing severe threat to the health and safety of citizens. Awareness among the enforcement agencies on the growing need to save the consumers from the hazard of counterfeiting & smuggling is essential, he added.

Mr Deep Chand, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Special Commissioner of Police, New Delhi gave an overview on socio-economic impact of counterfeiting and smuggling. He stated that the grey market is fueling illegitimate industry, leading to an increased criminalization in society. This capacity building program is aimed to sensitize the Chhattisgarh police officers on the importance of continued awareness and seriousness of the impact of counterfeit and smuggled products, he emphasized.

Col Atul Yadav, General Manager- North, Industry Affairs, ITC Ltd. opined that illegal activities such as counterfeiting and smuggling are flooding the market with substandard fake and smuggled products which are produced without following quality norms at unhygienic places, and are sold illegally, thus contributing towards increase in unaccounted money. A major driver for the rampant increase of smuggling is high taxes which create a significant arbitrage to fuel such activities. The extent of smuggling in the country is a cause of great concern. However, to effectively tackle the growing menace of smuggling in India, a lot more needs to be done to make the compliance and processes more robust and detection of such crime easier, he added.

Ms Aashita Agarwal, Policy Manger, Public Policy, Amazon India accentuated that Amazon is focused in mitigating fraud and abuse on marketplaces that hamper customer trust. Amazon has introduced several initiatives and have put in resources to make its marketplace a reliable and safe platform for customers, brands, and sellers to conduct transactions. She added that we are committed to promoting and participating in the efforts for ensuring that the consumers are empowered to enjoy the benefits of online shopping while being protected from the risks the digital era may present. The programme witnessed an enthusiastic participation of 120 police officers across the state.

10^th January 2023| Chhattisgarh 

FICCI CASCADE organised a Seminar on ‘Preventive Strategies to Combat Counterfeiting and Smuggling’ on 10th January 2023 at Hotel Courtyard by Marriott, Raipur. Shri Amarjeet Bhagat, Hon’ble Minister of Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Protection, Planning Economic and Statistics, Culture, Government of Chhattisgarh was the chief guest at the seminar. While addressing the programme, he mentioned that the rapid growth of technology has led to a drastic increase in economic crimes and cybercrimes. Shri Bhagat emphasized that illicit trade activities are the major barriers in the path of economic growth of the country. Over the years, the government has initiated several mechanisms to ensure consumer safety and checking unfair trade practices, there is an urgent need of increased consumer awareness to tackle this problem, he added

Mr. Topeshwar Verma, Secretary, Department of Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Protection, Technical Education and Employment, Government of Chhattisgarh accentuated that Illicit activities such as smuggling and counterfeiting are global problems of enormous scale, impacting all stakeholders such as consumers, industry, government and society as a whole. He urged all stakeholders to join hands to collectively fight the menace of illicit trade. Mr. Verma emphasized the need to take a bill on every purchase, as it acts as evidence of transaction.

Mr P C Jha, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs stated that illicit trade have a significant adverse effect on security, environment, health, safety and economy. Illicit trade is a low risk and high reward criminal activity. There is no manufactured product, illicit of which is not available in the market. Inadequate penal provisions and delayed prosecution/ adjudication proceedings do not create desired deterrence for illegal market operators, added Mr. Jha.

Mr. Abhijit Pati, Chairman, FICCI Chhattisgarh State Council and CEO & Director BALCO (Vedanta Group) opined that in the past ten years the magnitude of illicit trade has grown from USD 650 billion to about USD 3 trillion, representing 10 per cent of the global trade and rightly been termed as the crime of the 21st century by the FBI. Mr. Pati mentioned that there is a need for concerted effort by all stakeholders to ensure that an effective and workable deterrence is created.

Mr. Deep Chand, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Special Commissioner of Police, New Delhi chaired the Panel Discussion on Policies to Prevent Counterfeiting and Smuggling. While chairing the session he stated that it is important to work together across borders and sectors in order to disrupt the networks and supply chains that support smuggling. Strong laws and effective enforcement actions are critical to ensure that individuals and organizations are held accountable and deterred from engaging in illegal or harmful activities.

Panelist, Ms. Pratima Singh, Additional Commissioner, Central GST & Central Excise, Raipur highlighted that the custom department is at the forefront to save the society from the ill-effects of smuggling. She apprised that last year officials have seized 92,000 kg narcotics, 800 kg ganja and 36 lakh smuggled cigarette sticks from across the country. During the discussion, Dr. Sanjeev Shukla, IPS, Inspector General of Police, CID, Raipur emphasized that it is essential for enforcement agencies to be proactive in combating smuggling to protect the national security, support the economy, and prevent criminal organizations from gaining a foothold in the country. There is a need to increase intelligence gathering, surveillance, risk assessments, and targeted operations.

Shri Praveen Mishra, Hon’ble Secretary, District Legal Services Authority, Raipur highlighted that the existing punishments that are handed out in compliance with the various legal laws are not as effective as they could be in preventing the threat of smuggling and counterfeiting. Therefore, there is a need to enhance stringent laws and regulations to prevent illicit trade.

Shri Arvind Agrawal, Director, VNR Seeds Pvt Ltd., Raipur stated that stakeholders, including governments, law enforcement agencies, international organizations, businesses, and civil society groups, can play a critical role in battling the menace of illicit trade by working together to share information, resources, and expertise. This will help to create a more secure and sustainable global economy that benefits everyone.

Ms. Jaya Mishra, Member, FICCI Chhattisgarh State Council and President, Shri Shankaracharya Technical Campus during her vote of thanks, mentioned that students can play an important role as brand ambassadors and torchbearer in the fight against illicit trade. Winners of the competitions organised in Bhilai on the “Role of Youth in Making India Free from Smuggling & Counterfeiting” were also awarded at the seminar. The conference was attended by more than 250 industry captions, representatives from consumer forums, government officials and other stakeholders in this segment.

9^th January 2023| Chhattisgarh

In our continued endeavour, to sensitize the youth on the need to work together to address the growing hazards posed by counterfeiting and smuggling, FICCI CASCADE organized a youth awareness programme on the theme “Role of Youth in Making India Free from Smuggling & Counterfeiting” on 9th January 2023 at Shri Shankaracharya Technical Campus, Bhilai. The programme was divided into three competitions: Painting, Elocution and Jingle Writing. The competition witnessed enthusiastic participation of over 450 students from various educational institutions of Chhattisgarh. The competition observed a great sight of young prodigious talent demonstrating their skills to curtail the threat posed by counterfeiting and smuggling. The objective of the competition was to generate awareness among the country’s youth and seek their support in strengthening our fight against illicit trade.  

The competition was judged by Mr. Deep Chand, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Special Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, Mr. P C Jha, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and Ms. Mr. Jaya Mishra, Member, FICCI Chhattisgarh State Council and President, Shri Shankaracharya Technical Campus.

The list of the winners are as follows:

FICCI CASCADE believes that it is important to empower the youth of our nation to take a leading role in the fight against illicit trade by educating and training them to identify and respond to illicit trade activities. Competition winners were awarded at a Seminar on ‘Preventive Strategies to Combat Counterfeiting and Smuggling’ organised at Hotel Courtyard by Marriott, Raipur on 10th January 2023.

6 December 2022| L. N. Mishra Institute of Economic Development & Social Change, Patna

Mr Samir Kumar Mahaseth, Industry Minister, Government of Bihar was the chief guest at the seminar. While addressing the programme, he mentioned that the problem of counterfeiting and smuggling is complex in nature, with no legal regulation and very little recourse, consumers are at risk from unsafe and ineffective products. It is important that consumers understand the multi-faceted complexities of the problem. Youth are the consumers of tomorrow, who can encourage and bring about the required change through their choices and behaviours, he added. 

Shri Mahaseth emphasized that educating and generating awareness about the ill effects of counterfeiting and smuggling is the need of hour to combat this global scourge. He suggested that FICCI CASCADE should organize similar youth awareness programmes in Bihar frequently to motivate the young minds in achieving the objective of making India free from illicit trade. The Hon’ble Minister also felicitated school children for the inter-school competition organised by CASCADE.

Mr Dipak Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Education, Government of Bihar also addressed the seminar. He stated that the uninhibited growth of counterfeiting and smuggling is not only impacting the economy of our country but also posing severe risk to public health and safety. Smuggling and counterfeiting leads to tax evasion which further slows down the pace of development of the country, said Mr. Singh. He emphasized on the need to take a bill while making any purchase, to act as proof/evidence of the transaction.

Mr P C Jha, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs accentuated that illicit trade is of grave concern, it undermines the nation’s economy, damages brand integrity, and most importantly affects health and safety of the citizens which needs to be addressed on an urgent basis. He opined that presently lack of awareness, besides the inadequate legal framework, are shaping the dynamics of illicit trade.

Mr Rajiva Ranjan Verma, Former Director General, RPF, NCRB, Civil Defense, Home Guard & Fire Services and BPR&D and Think tank Member, FICCI CASCADE highlighted that raising awareness is an important aspect of combating illicit trade in terms of smuggling and counterfeiting which needs to be pursued vigorously. The role of youth is paramount in battling the menace of smuggling and counterfeiting, he stressed.

The seminar discussed the importance of increased awareness on the hazards of counterfeiting and smuggling, and the need for effective enforcement to enhance India’s economic development. The seminar also deliberated on FICCI CASCADE’s recent report titled Illicit Markets: A Threat to Our National Interests, which examines the impact of illicit trade in five key industries in India — Mobile Phones, FMCG-Household and Personal Goods, FMCG-Packaged Foods, Tobacco Products, and Alcoholic Beverages.