35% of Indians encountered fake products in the last one year alone: Survey

Nine out of 10 urban consumers admitted to having purchased a counterfeit product at least once in their lifetime, according to the report

Mumbai: A whopping 35% of Indians encountered fake products in the last one year alone, according to a survey conducted by the Authentication Solution Providers' Association (ASPA), in collaboration with CRISIL Ltd. 

The report, 'State of Counterfeiting in India 2025', was released at TAF Connect 2026, India’s authentication and brand protection industry conclave.

Alarmingly, almost 9 out of 10 urban consumers (89%) admitted to having purchased a counterfeit product at least once in their lifetime.

The nationwide study, based on a consumer survey of 1,639 respondents across nine major Indian cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Indore — highlights the growing scale, changing channels, and increasing consumer awareness regarding counterfeit products across multiple industries.

The report covers key sectors, including pharmaceuticals, FMCG, automotive parts, apparel, consumer durables, and agro-products, providing one of the most comprehensive insights into India’s counterfeiting ecosystem.

Ankit Gupta, president, ASPA, said: “Counterfeiting is a global menace that adversely affects the economy of almost every country. Not only are counterfeit goods a risk to consumers' health and well-being, but they also distort market competition, damage legitimate producers and cause tax revenue losses for governments. In India, counterfeiting incidents have increased over the past three years, with counterfeiters becoming increasingly sophisticated and better funded. The growth of e-commerce and globalisation of markets have made the fight against counterfeiting even more challenging.”

Anjali Nathwani, Director, Crisil Intelligence, said, “An important finding from the survey is that 74% of consumers believe the incidence of counterfeiting has increased in the last 12 months. Another intriguing finding is that 93% of consumers think more awareness campaigns are needed, even though two-thirds feel confident about identifying a counterfeit product. This gap between awareness and action points to the need for concerted effort from the government, manufacturers, distributors, retailers and consumers working together to combat counterfeiting.”

Growing role of digital commerce

The study highlights the growing role of digital commerce in the distribution of counterfeit products.

Online aggregator platforms account for 53% of counterfeit purchases, making them the largest channel.

Local retail outlets remain dominant for agro-products (75%) and pharmaceuticals (63%).

Social media advertisements are emerging as a major channel, especially for apparel (46%) and consumer electronics (35%).

Counterfeit products are perceived to be around 22% cheaper than genuine goods. However, only 36% of consumers cite price as the primary reason for purchasing counterfeit products.

Encouragingly, consumers are willing to pay an average 9% premium for guaranteed genuine products, with higher willingness in pharmaceuticals (12%) and agro-products (14%).

In addition, 50% of consumers say they would file a complaint if they received a counterfeit product, reflecting rising consumer awareness and intolerance toward fake goods.