FICCI calls for technology-led action as illicit trade shifts online
FICCI has flagged the growing digitalisation of illicit trade, urging technology-driven enforcement and stronger coordination to curb counterfeit and illegal products affecting retailers and consumer brands.
What happened
FICCI said illicit trade is increasingly moving online and called for technology-led measures to combat it, citing remarks by Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva. The
Key facts
- 100
- 199 days
Why this matters
Consumer brands and retailers should assess partnerships or acquisitions in product authentication, seller-risk monitoring and online enforcement to strengthen anti-counterfeit defenses.
What to watch
- Government or regulator guidance setting explicit marketplace due-diligence, seller-verification or takedown requirements.
- FICCI-led industry coalition, brand-protection standard or formal public-private anti-counterfeit initiative.
- Large marketplace announcements on AI-based counterfeit detection, stricter seller KYC or brand-authorized selling programs.
- High-profile raids, prosecutions or seizures tied to online sellers, social-commerce networks or cross-border shipments.
- Rising consumer complaints, return fraud, warranty disputes or reviews alleging fake products in specific retail categories.
- Payment or logistics providers restricting accounts, COD services or shipping access for repeat infringing sellers.
- Prioritize category-level risk mapping for beauty, apparel, electronics accessories, FMCG, pharmaceuticals and premium goods.
- Deploy serialized product authentication, QR/NFC verification and channel-specific monitoring for high-risk SKUs.
- Strengthen marketplace seller onboarding standards, including beneficial-owner, GST, bank-account and repeat-offender checks.
- Create rapid takedown, evidence-preservation and customer-remediation playbooks with marketplaces and legal teams.
- Track counterfeit-related returns, warranty claims, customer complaints and abnormal price dispersion as early warning indicators.
- Evaluate shared intelligence partnerships with industry bodies, logistics providers, payment platforms and enforcement agencies.