Bejon Misra
Consumer Policy Expert
Counterfeit liquor trade has evolved from a minor concern into a significant systemic issue. According to FICCI CASCADE estimates, illicit alcoholic beverages now represent over 30% of India's market, valued at approximately Rs 60,000 crore.
The challenge extends beyond occasional enforcement actions. Licensed vendors are regularly caught refilling premium bottles with substandard alcohol. Recent cases in Noida involved counterfeit Ballantine's, Black Label, Red Label, and Jameson bottles with fake QR codes. A Nagpur operation discovered 1,200 liters of watered-down premium alcohol alongside 4,500 empty branded bottles and sealing machinery.
Several cost-effective solutions already exist: Non-reusable closures that visibly break upon opening. Serialized QR codes linked to centralized databases – Rajasthan has launched a citizen-accessible app for this. High-security excise labels like Kerala's currency-grade security features. Companies should collaborate with state governments to standardize these systems.
Empty bottles from premium brands circulate freely through bars, hotels, and scrap dealers. Grey-market vendors provide counterfeit caps, excise labels, and fraudulent QR codes. Enforcement focuses on documentation rather than product verification. Refilling persists because bottle-level traceability remains inadequate and the arrest risk relative to profit margins is low.
Definitively yes. This represents systemic public-health failure. Punjab documented over 170 spurious liquor deaths within five years. Recorded incidents include 121 deaths in 2020, 42 in 2022 Gujarat, and 65 in 2024 Kallakurichi, Tamil Nadu. International specialists characterize methanol poisoning from illicit alcohol as recurring, under-recognized crises.
Both. Existing regulatory authorities possess unutilized powers. The fundamental challenge involves sporadic, reactive enforcement – typically following tragedies. Excise departments face revenue target accountability rather than mortality reduction metrics. Manufacturing spurious liquor should carry capital punishment, with mandatory incarceration for repeat violations.
Purchase exclusively from licensed retailers. Demand sealed containers. Remain skeptical of suspicious premium brand discounts. In bars, insist bottles open visibly. If taste or aroma concerns you, cease consumption and report. States should mandate verification apps for citizen QR code scanning. Treat the liquor consumer as a citizen with rights, not simply a taxpayer with a bottle. JAGO GRAHAK JAGO.