Pralhad Joshi calls for collective action against illicit trade
At a time when India’s rapid economic expansion is reshaping consumption patterns and market dynamics, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, described illicit trade as a “shadow economy” while addressing the seminar virtually.
In a special video address at the seminar “Protecting Consumers: Addressing the Threat of Smuggling and Counterfeiting” organised by FICCI CASCADE, the Minister said, “smuggling and counterfeiting are far from victimless crimes. They expose consumers to unsafe, substandard and even toxic products, undermine honest businesses, and erode government revenues that could otherwise be invested in public welfare and infrastructure.”
Emphasising that “the objective is not just consumer protection, but consumer prosperity,” he pointed to initiatives such as the Central Consumer Protection Authority, the National Consumer Helpline, and the Jago Grahak Jago campaign as key pillars in empowering citizens. Calling for a broader coalition, he added, “When a product is fake, it is not just a business loss—it is a betrayal of consumer trust. Combating this requires shared responsibility across government, industry and society.”
In her inaugural address, Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India, said “we are living in a time when India has emerged as the world’s fourth-largest economy”.
She noted that consumer protection has evolved from awareness-building to a technology-enabled system. “From ‘Jago Grahak Jago’ to AI-driven grievance redressal, we are building a system that is faster, more efficient, and transparent,” she said. Highlighting improvements in grievance redressal, she added, “Resolution timelines have come down from 63 days to around 21 days, and in some online cases even within 72 hours.”
On the role of digital platforms, she said, “While e-commerce platforms operate at scale and require continuous regulatory engagement, they are also increasingly stepping up—through measures such as delisting and stronger monitoring—to combat counterfeit products.” She added that “the challenge extends beyond digital marketplaces into physical supply chains.”
She called for a multi-pronged approach, including stronger quality standards, support for MSMEs, greater platform accountability, and enhanced enforcement across both digital and physical markets.
In his welcome address, Anil Rajput, Chairman, FICCI CASCADE, said advancing consumer protection today requires a decisive shift from a reactive approach to a preventive, structured and forward-looking system.
Dr Ashwani Mahajan, National Co-Convener, Swadeshi Jagran Manch, said effectively tackling illicit trade requires strong and sustained political will, decisive policy interventions—such as demonetisation—have previously demonstrated how determined action can disrupt counterfeit and illicit ecosystems. The need to strengthen enforcement mechanisms, particularly at the borders, stating that gaps in customs oversight continue to enable the entry of illicit goods into the domestic market.”
P C Jha, Advisor, FICCI CASCADE and Former Chairman, CBIC, provided a comprehensive enforcement and governance perspective, stressing that consumer protection must be seen as an integral pillar of economic policy.
The seminar brought together senior policymakers, judicial leaders, enforcement officials, industry representatives, and consumer organisations to deliberate on the growing threat of illicit trade and the need for stronger consumer-centric frameworks.
