On the occasion of World Anti-Counterfeiting Day, PMI India, the Indian affiliate of Philip Morris International (PMI), reiterated its firm commitment to breaking the illicit tobacco trade network. The company expressed strong support for the Government of India’s pack-level Track & Trace (T&T) initiative, aimed at enhancing regulatory enforcement, protecting revenue, and securing product integrity across the tobacco supply chain.
Navaneel Kar, Managing Director of IPM India, stated, “We applaud the Government of India’s decision to implement T&T in tobacco. With effective execution, this will strengthen public trust, boost enforcement, and bring greater transparency to the market.” PMI has successfully implemented T&T systems across 140+ countries, including the EU, UK, Russia, and the GCC, consistently leading to reduced counterfeit activity and improved compliance.
Rodney Van Dooren, Head of Illicit Trade Prevention, Asia Pacific, emphasized India’s leadership role in the region and called for stronger transnational collaboration to curb counterfeits and safeguard intellectual property rights.
A critical entry point in the Northeast, the local market has struggled with illegal cigarette inflows, impacting legal trade. The new T&T system is expected to empower enforcement agencies and support local businesses by deterring the flow of unregulated tobacco products.
