FMCG MAJORS BATTLE FAKES 

New Delhi, Jan. 13 :    New Delhi, Jan. 13:  The FMCG industry led by P&G, Dabur and HLL, has launched a special initiative in association with the intellectual property rights section of the Crime Branch, to save the Rs 60,000 crore market. According to an estimate by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, (Ficci) made by its Brand Protection Committee (BPC), the FMCG market loses more than Rs 1000 crore each year due to counterfeits. On complaints filed by P and G, HLL and Dabur, all members of the BPC, the Intellectual Property Rights section recently raided and seized large quantities of fakes in the capital. The fakes were violating the trademarks and copyrights of well-known brands such as Ariel, Head & Shoulders and Pantene of P&G, Dabur Amla Hair Oil of Dabur and Sunsilk, Clinic All Clear and Clinic Plus of HLL. The raids were carried out simultaneously on the warehouse and manufacturing premises of Nimma International in Savitri Nagar village, Malviya Nagar, Delhi. Volumes of packaging material material were seized along with machinery. Himanshu Chadda, proprietor of Nimma International could not, however, be traced. The company's turnover has been estimated to be around Rs 25 crore per annum, which, a Ficci spokesperson said meant a revenue loss of about Rs 7.5 crore to the government. The Brand Protection Committee of Ficci formed about a year back, estimates that 7-8 per cent of FMCG products are affected by the menace of spurious goods. The committee brings together leading FMCG manufacturers like P and G, HLL, Dabur, Marico, Britannia, Coke, Pepsi, and IMI. The BPC is also keen to extend its activities beyond FMCG products, albeit this is the largest affected segment.