Purolator Kicks Off Drive Against Fake Auto Filter Makers

Purolator India Ltd, manufacturer and exporter of automobile engine filters in the country, in association with law enforcement authorities, has initiated action against manufacturers of spurious auto filters.

Recently, the law enforcement officials raided various manufacturing units of fake auto filters in New Delhi and seized fake filters worth Rs 25 lakh containing Purolator brand.

A joint venture between US-based Arvion Meriton and Anand, Purolator is also planning to conduct similar raids in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata and Cuttack in the next two months.

According to estimates, while Purolator has about 32 per cent of the market share, while fake filter manufacturers command as high as 40 per cent. Mico has the rest.

 

K S Bhullar, chief operating officer of Purolator India, said: "Spurious filters not only affect our business, but also cause huge revenue losses to the government."

According to a National Council of Applied Economic Research estimate, the Centre and the state governments lose revenue of about Rs 1,500 per annum crore because of fake auto parts manufactured in the country.

"We will be targeting the fake manufacturers in other cities of western part of the country," Bhullar said. The company is also pursuing Mico to initiate similar action against spurious auto part manufacturers.

Bhullar said counterfeit auto parts industry is thriving in the country because of poor protection of intellectual property rights. "We are waiting for adoption of the New Trade Marks Act of 1999," he added.