# 46% Hyderabad consumers bought fake goods: survey 2026-08-25T02:10:49+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Nearly 89% of Indian consumers have bought a counterfeit product at least once, according to the ASPA, CRISIL state of counterfeiting in India 2025 report, released at the 'Fake Free India' event in Hyderabad on Sunday. The study surveyed 1,639 consumers in nine cities and six sectors, finding that 35% encountered a fake in the past year, and an estimated 29% of products in local markets could be counterfeit. Hyderabad recorded the highest share at 46%, followed by Chennai at 39% and Bengaluru at 33%. Counterfeit goods were perceived as most common in apparel (34%), consumer electronics (31%), and healthcare products (28%). While 62% of consumers check product authenticity before purchase, only 34% check holograms and 23% scan QR codes. ASPA president Ankit Gupta called the findings a 'wake-up call for consumer awareness'. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Counterfeiting in India is not a new problem, but the numbers in this survey, especially Hyderabad's 46%, are striking. The scale matters because fake products in sectors like healthcare and automotive parts are not just a financial loss, they can be a safety hazard. Under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016, and the Legal Metrology Act, brands can face penalties for selling fakes, but enforcement has historically been weak at the local market level. The next step to watch is whether the government or industry bodies use this ASPA, CRISIL data to push for mandatory digital authentication, such as QR-code based track-and-trace systems, which the report notes only 23% of consumers currently use. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Led with city-specific rate from industry-sponsored survey, neutral wording throughout, no government praise or blame This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Ankit Gupta, ASPA, counterfeit goods, Crisil, Fake Free India, Hyderabad Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/46-hyderabad-consumers-bought-fake-goods-survey/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/46-hyderabad-consumers-bought-fake-goods-survey/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/