At the 6th edition of the Traceability and Authentication Forum (TAF 2025), major stakeholders stressed the critical need for tougher anti-counterfeiting laws and enhanced traceability methods to protect India's industries, with a particular emphasis on public health. The authentication solution provider's association (ASPA) organised the two-day forum, which brought together over 200 attendees, including business leaders, government officials, and technological experts, to discuss the multidimensional challenge of counterfeiting.

Counterfeit items, which range from pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals to fast food and consumer goods, pose a severe threat to both economic integrity and consumer safety. In the healthcare industry, the distribution of counterfeit pharmaceuticals and mislabeled products can result in negative health results, a loss of trust in healthcare systems, and even fatal problems. Industry experts have warned that such fake medications endanger public health by circumventing safety requirements and avoiding rigorous quality control, potentially leading to inefficient or hazardous treatments.

Representatives from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as well as the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, emphasised the health risks associated with counterfeiting. They emphasised that counterfeits endanger not just individual health but also the overall healthcare system by increasing the prevalence of drug resistance and treatment failures. With global trade partners becoming increasingly watchful, India urgently has to improve its authentication systems to meet international requirements.

During the forum, speakers highlighted the transformative power of emerging technologies. Blockchain-enabled traceability systems and AI-powered authentication methods have been identified as critical technologies for real-time supply chain monitoring. These technologies provide a reliable solution for tracking product movement from manufacturing to end customer, guaranteeing that every step of the distribution chain is transparent and verifiable. However, a considerable difficulty exists in rural and less technologically sophisticated areas, where conventional methods, such as visual verification of packaging, are still widely used. Industry experts argued for the incorporation of physical overt packaging solutions, guaranteeing that authenticity is easily verified by all consumers, independent of location or technical access.

Shri Abhishek Dev, IAS, and Chairman of APEDA, commended ASPA's important role in combatting counterfeit goods. He stressed the importance of data-driven insights, citing the ASPA-CRISIL study, published in 2022, as a vital foundation for policy improvements targeted at combating counterfeiting. He underlined APEDA's continued efforts to improve traceability mechanisms for organic products through the National Program for Organic Production (NPOP), emphasising the link between product safety and public health.

ASPA President Manoj Kochar emphasised the importance of coordinated action by pushing the government to form specific task forces, impose harsher punishments, and incentivise firms to embrace the current authentication technology. The summit closed with all parties agreeing to pursue comprehensive policy reforms and technical breakthroughs to ensure that India's industries, particularly those essential to health and consumer safety, remain competitive and trustworthy on a global scale.

India's proactive approach to strengthening anti-counterfeiting regulations is critical both for economic stability and public health. Providing consumers with safe and effective products must be a top emphasis. The implementation of cutting-edge traceability technologies, together with strict policy enforcement, will be critical in reducing the health risks connected with counterfeit items. As India establishes itself as a reliable global exporter, the implementation of these steps will eventually lead to a safer and more resilient healthcare system.