Illicit trade undermines consumer trust, economic integrity: Joshi

New Delhi: Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi termed smuggling and counterfeiting a “shadow economy” that harms consumers, businesses and government revenues, calling for a collective response to curb the threat.

Addressing a FICCI CASCADE seminar, he said such activities expose consumers to unsafe and substandard products and undermine public welfare. “The objective is not just consumer protection, but consumer prosperity,” he said, adding that initiatives like the Central Consumer Protection Authority and “Jago Grahak Jago” are key to empowering citizens. “When a product is fake…it is a betrayal of consumer trust,” he added.

Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, GoI, said, “we are living in a time when India has emerged as the world’s fourth-largest economy.” Highlighting reforms, she said, “From ‘Jago Grahak Jago’ to AI-driven grievance redressal, we are building a system that is faster, more efficient, and transparent,” noting resolution timelines have fallen from 63 days to about 21 days, and even 72 hours in some cases. On e-commerce, she said platforms are stepping up through delisting & monitoring, but “the challenge extends beyond digital marketplaces into physical supply chains,” calling for stronger standards, MSME support and enforcement.

Anil Rajput, Chairman, FICCI CASCADE, said, “advancing consumer protection today requires a decisive shift… We need better intelligence-sharing, stronger enforcement mechanisms, & greater use of technology,” alongside a whole-of-society approach.

P C Jha, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and former CBIC Chairman, said smuggling and counterfeiting are profit-driven crimes requiring disruption of financial flows, not just seizure of consignments.

The seminar underscored the need for coordinated, technology-driven action & stronger consumer-centric frameworks to combat illicit trade.