Smuggling and Counterfeiting have become increasingly sophisticated and well-organised crime in recent years, spanning multiple sectors and transcending state as well as international borders. Addressing a challenge of this magnitude requires sustained collaboration among government, enforcement agencies, industry, and consumers. With this objective, FICCI CASCADE has been consistently fostering dialogue and promoting collective action through its nationwide series of seminars. As part of this ongoing initiative, FICCI CASCADE organised a seminar on “Illicit Trade: A Unified Approach to Counter Smuggling and Counterfeiting” on 30 June 2026 at Vivanta by Taj, Hyderabad.

The seminar brought together policymakers, enforcement officials, industry leaders, legal experts, and consumer representatives on a common platform to deliberate on strengthening strategies, enhancing coordination, and reinforcing the collective fight against illicit trade.

Delivering the inaugural address, Dr J Ram Chander Naik, Hon’ble Deputy Speaker, Telangana Assembly, underscored the need for a coordinated national approach to tackle the growing menace of counterfeiting and smuggling. He observed that illicit trade has evolved into a serious challenge with far-reaching economic and social consequences, posing significant risks to consumer safety, undermining legitimate businesses, and impeding the nation’s economic development. Stressing that counterfeiting and smuggling can no longer be viewed merely as economic offences, he called for stronger policy interventions, robust enforcement mechanisms, and enhanced collaboration among government, industry, enforcement agencies, and citizens. He further noted that forum such as FICCI CASCADE play a vital role in fostering stakeholder engagement, raising public awareness, and promoting a unified and coordinated response to effectively combat illicit trade.

Mr. T. Muralidharan, Past Chairman, FICCI Telangana State Council and Chairman, TMI Group, emphasised the importance of collective action in combating the growing challenge of illicit trade. He mentioned that counterfeiting and smuggling adversely impact every sector of the economy by undermining legitimate businesses, discouraging innovation, and creating an uneven competitive environment. Stressing that the fight against illicit trade requires a collaborative approach, he called for stronger partnerships among policymakers, enforcement agencies, industry, and consumers. Reaffirming FICCI CASCADE’s commitment to this cause, he noted that the organisation will continue to facilitate meaningful dialogue and support initiatives aimed at strengthening India’s efforts to combat counterfeiting and smuggling.

Mr. P. C. Jha, IRS (Retd.), Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), provided an overview of the evolving landscape of illicit trade, highlighting the increasing scale and sophistication of counterfeiting and smuggling. He emphasised that the dynamic nature of illicit trade necessitates a comprehensive and coordinated response driven by intelligence-led enforcement, technology-enabled solutions, and stronger inter-agency collaboration. He further underlined the importance of raising public awareness about the economic, social, and consumer safety risks associated with counterfeit and smuggled goods. Mr. Jha opined that addressing illicit trade requires a holistic strategy that integrates robust policy measures, strengthened enforcement mechanisms, technological innovation, and active consumer participation to ensure an effective and sustained response.

Delivering the vote of thanks for the inaugural session, Mr. Jayadev Meela, Co-Chairman, FICCI Telangana State Council and Managing Director, Sudhakar Group, reinforced the FICCI Telangana State Council’s commitment to supporting FICCI CASCADE’s initiatives in strengthening the fight against counterfeiting, smuggling, and other forms of illicit trade.

The seminar featured a panel discussion on “Policies to Prevent Counterfeiting and Smuggling”, chaired by Mr. Deep Chand, IPS (Retd.), Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Special Commissioner of Police, New Delhi. Setting the context for the deliberations, Mr. Chand emphasised that effectively combating illicit trade requires a coordinated and sustained multi-stakeholder approach. He mentioned that enforcement agencies alone cannot address the growing challenge of counterfeiting and smuggling, and stressed the importance of stronger collaboration among government, industry, law enforcement agencies, and civil society. He further highlighted that continuous stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and knowledge sharing are critical to strengthening the national response against illicit trade.

Mr. Rajiv Thampula, IRS, Additional Commissioner of Customs, Hyderabad Customs, accentuated that combating smuggling and counterfeiting is at the core of customs mandate to protect India’s economic interests and secure its borders. These illicit activities not only result in significant loss of government revenue but also undermine legitimate trade, fuel organised crime, and pose serious risks to consumer safety. Through intelligence-led enforcement, robust border controls, and close coordination with national and international stakeholders, Customs remains committed to disrupting smuggling networks, preventing the movement of counterfeit goods, and strengthening public awareness to preserve the integrity of India’s trade and economy.

Mr. R. Bhaaskaran, IPS, Dy. Inspector General of Police, CI Cell, Intelligence Department, Telangana, stated law enforcement agencies are at the forefront of combating these illicit activities by detecting, investigating, and dismantling criminal networks that often operate across states and international borders. Addressing this challenge requires robust intelligence sharing, stronger inter-agency collaboration, and continuous capacity building to enhance enforcement capabilities. A coordinated and sustained approach is essential to disrupt organised illicit trade and protect the interests of citizens and the nation.

The session also featured insightful perspectives from distinguished experts representing industry and consumer advocacy. Other eminent panellists included Ms. Shikha Sharma, Country Lead, Customer Trust External Relations (CTXR), Amazon India; Prof. Bejon Kumar Misra, Founder, Consumer Online Foundation; and Dr. Anant Sharma, National Chairman, Consumer Federation of India. They enriched the deliberations by sharing their views on the need to strengthen consumer awareness, enhance industry collaboration, and reinforce safeguards against counterfeit and smuggled goods through coordinated action.

The seminar reaffirmed FICCI CASCADE’s steadfast commitment to strengthening collaborative efforts among government departments, enforcement agencies, industry, academia, consumer organisations, and civil society to combat the growing menace of counterfeiting and smuggling. The deliberations underscored the importance of sustained policy advocacy, institutional capacity building, public awareness, and multi-stakeholder collaboration in effectively addressing illicit trade. Through its continued nationwide initiatives, FICCI CASCADE remains dedicated to fostering a fair, transparent, and secure marketplace, safeguarding consumer interests, supporting legitimate businesses, and contributing to India’s economic growth and development.

Registration Link- https://meet.ficci.in/invitee-form.asp?evid=15062616171956