Holography | 81Holography against counterfeiting Counterfeiting is an economic pandemic affecting large numbers of businesses and brands around the world. Akanksha Meena reportsccording to a report issued in 2021 Some leading pharma and medical by Authentication Solution Providers’ companies have directed their efforts at Association, counterfeiting costs the authenticating packaging to protect their AIndian economy a whopping 1,000 billion products. Holograms have become one of INR (12.9 billion USD) every year. In fact, the most widely used overt authentication one in three Indian adults has been the features on pharma products around victim of fake products from e-commerce the world. websites, making online counterfeiting the Holography provides overt frst-line fastest growing business crime. Alarmingly, authentication, while covert features counterfeiting incidents increased by an such as scrambled images, micro-text and average of 20 percent from 2018 to 2020. UV-sensitive or other specialty inks provide second-line authentication for trained examiners equipped with appropriate “As counterfeiting Yogesh Kapur, executive vice president decoding equipment. of UFlex’s holography businessAnother important trend Kumar remains pervasive, the highlights is the serialization of holograms as part of systems that should brand owners wait to implement a potential of holography combine authentication with traceability, program only after they become a victim with track-and-trace systems linking to counterfeit products, or take preventive is likely to grow”on-pack security devices with database steps beforehand?’ Kumar says. A report by Federation of Indian management and feld-tracking services. As counterfeiting remains pervasive, the Chambers of Commerce and Industry In this way, knowing where a particular potential of holography is likely to grow. underlines that 31.6 percent of the FMCG consignment has been, where it is now, ‘Today, with investment in holograms, personal goods space is spurious. In the and where it is heading has become a holographic technologies and development automotive aftermarket sector, which fundamental part of production and logistic of new and improved holographic is worth INR 40,000 crore (USD 5bn), operations. This technology, coupled with applications, the segment is witnessing counterfeited fake automotive components single seal holographic labels that prevent an upsurge in India. It is interesting to see are responsible for up to 20 percent of road duplicity is playing its part in preventing sectors other than FMCG, pharmaceuticals, accidents in India, says a study by Nielsen counterfeiting incidents. automotive take cognizance of the impact and Automotive Component Manufacturing that counterfeiting could bring and are Association of India. In the healthcare and Latentogram taking preventive actions beforehand.’pharma sector, counterfeited medicines UFlex has recently developed Latentogram India is taking leaps in holographic occupy more than 30 percent of the hologram technology. It is a polarized innovation, including 3D UV-embossed pharma market and create a healthcare covert image applied on a refecting layer. holographic labels and self-kiosk labels, as nightmare for the developing world. Latentogram can contain textual, graphic well as opening doors to brand promotion Yogesh Kapur, executive vice president of or hidden images that can be made into and customer loyalty through engaging QR UFlex’s holography business, says that while self-adhesive labels in several shapes and codes on packaging. counterfeiting is a global issue, malpractices sizes. It can be customized in any design With the growing number of higher in India due to a lack of specifc or logo and creates infnite possibilities counterfeiting incidents, the focus is legislation to address counterfeiting. Only with invisible text, graphics and photos of shifting towards traceability, consumer a few Indian states have dedicated crime people or with alternative numbering. It is a food safety, inventory accuracy and enforcement units to take action against tamper-resistance technology that prevents management, including frst-in frst-out. reported counterfeit cases. security features from being re-used, thus ‘We learned that winning at the shelf is ‘What adds more to these incidents is the adding a protective layer. not enough anymore; brands must win in dearth of anti-counterfeiting technologies Latentogram works through an the online shopping cart too.’in India, as it becomes diffcult for the authenticity identifer – a device that has The growth of e-commerce in India compliance enforcement and investigative a special flm as the main element, which has customers more prone to fall prey to offcers to identify the difference between allows the user to see covert images on the counterfeited goods. genuine and fake,’ he adds. Latentogram. It verifes the authenticity In an effort to curb counterfeiters, the Kapur also cites is a lack of adoption of of the security element applied on a Indian government is mandating QR codes available technologies, leading to diffculty document or on packaging by simply on the labels of all APIs manufactured identifying the original product. ‘The biggest placing the identities on the Latentogram or imported in India, at each level of reason that is a fertilizer to counterfeiting and decoding the covert elements. There packaging, to enable tracking and tracing is the mindset of Indian consumers to are other options as well, for example, of the pharma ingredients. This rule is accept look-alike counterfeited products as tangent reader, nano text and 3D motion. expected to come into force on Jan 1. they are much cheaper than the original. It ‘Brand owners should consider that the gives them a fake status symbol but at the more successful and recognized their brand For more from Akanksha Meena on cost of several factors including product becomes, their chances of falling prey to the Indian label market, go to www.performance, impact on health and value counterfeiting products and practice is labelsandlabeling.com/contributors/for money,’ he notes. likely to grow manifold. The question is, akanksha-meenaJul - Sep 2022