Mahindra conducts raids of counterfeit spare parts in Pune

To counter the growing threat of counterfeit spare-parts, auto major Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) today conducted preventive raids on an automobile spare parts retailer in Pune.

During the raid, the company unearthed counterfeit clutch plates that were being illegally sold by deceitful dealers. These operations were carried out jointly with the local police and specialist agencies. Till date, the company has conducted 34 successful raids across the country, over a period of 10 months.

The parts which are most commonly duplicated are air filters, oil filters, fly-wheels, pressure plates, steering cone and clutch plates.

"For automakers, the biggest concern is safety, since counterfeit parts can wreak havoc in a vehicle, from braking failure to triggering a fire. Today the open market is contaminated with spurious parts and customer awareness is the key to curb the sale of these counterfeit products. As a strategy, Mahindra will educate our consumers on use of genuine parts and continue to crack down on spurious suppliers," said Bharatendu Kapoor, head, spares business unit, automotive & farm equipment sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra.

Mahindra has parts warehouses in Pune (for auto spares) and Bhiwandi near Mumbai (for tractors), which send out supplies directly to dealerships and the open market.

The company did not give notional value of these parts nor the loss thereof from such sales.