Anurag Singh Thakur, Minister of State, Finance and Corporate Affairs, said that the government along with organisations like FICCI must fight against counterfeit trade, smuggling and piracy to save jobs and money.

Speaking at the 6th edition of MASCRADE 2019 - 'Containing Counterfeiting, Smuggling and Piracy: A Winning Strategy', organized by FICCI CASCADE (Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy), Mr Thakur said that India needs more awareness to understand the difference between fake and original goods. He urged the stakeholders to leverage use of technology to stop this growing menace.

"Smuggling, counterfeit trade and piracy hold back progress, raises the cost of goods, leads to tax evasion, hampers job creation and creates safety hazards for consumers," said Mr Thakur. With focused efforts, the country can save lot of money and jobs, he added.

Nityanand Rai, Minister of State, Home Affairs, Government of India said that counterfeiting and smuggling directly impacts health, economy, employment, education and society. The government has already taken several measures to address this issue, he said. "FICCI CASCADE should send recommendations on curbing this problem to all ministries in the government to further strengthen these measures," Rai added.

Highlighting the several initiatives undertaken by the Government of India to fight the menace of smuggling and counterfeiting, Mr P.K. Das, Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) said, "Money generated through illicit trade funds organized crime and nurtures illegal drugs trade."

He further added that the CBIC is equipped with all advance technologies to detect counterfeit and smuggled products.

Anil Rajput, Chairman, FICCI CASCADE said, "I must say that the work undertaken by Mr Narendra Modi's government has been laudable. Under his able directions and guidance, the seizures of illicit goods are at an all-time high in India. Smuggling and counterfeiting are increasingly hurting Indian economy and have crept into multiple sections of the society. Immediate steps are required, both in the form of policy intervention and awareness generation, to address this growing menace."

The event brought together stakeholders from governments, private sector, international organisations, law enforcement agencies and civil society for a series of action-driven dialogues to combat illicit trade.

Speakers from INTERPOL, US Intellectual Property-South Asia, UK Intellectual Property Office, Australian Border Force, HM Revenue and Customs and US Homeland Security, among others, along with key dignitaries from the Indian government, police, judiciary, customs and captains of the industry spoke at the conference.