Bengaluru: E-commerce giant Amazon on Thursday announced the expansion of its Counterfeit Crime Unit (CCU) to India. The unit will bring together Amazon's local experts, working closely with Indian brands, sellers, and law enforcement agencies to combat counterfeit operations and safeguard consumer trust across one of the world's largest and fastest-growing e-commerce markets, the company said.
The unit will focus on proactively detecting and removing counterfeit listings, safeguarding intellectual property, and enabling coordinated enforcement action against bad actors, while deepening collaboration with industry bodies and government stakeholders. Amazon said this effort is in line with its broader long-term commitment to India, including its plan to invest more than $35 billion across its businesses in the country through 2030.
"Protecting customers and brands from counterfeit goods is fundamental to preserving trust in our store and protecting sellers," said Kebharu Smith, Director of Amazon's Counterfeit Crimes Unit. "Our global anti-counterfeiting efforts have helped prevent millions of dollars in potential harm. With CCU expanding to India, we are bringing that same commitment and expertise to help protect customers, brands, and sellers on amazon.in. We are combining advanced technology, dedicated teams, and strong partnerships with brands and law enforcement to take the fight to bad actors on the ground in India. This helps create a safer marketplace for customers, sellers and brands," he added.
Since its inception in 2020, the CCU team has initiated over 200 civil actions against bad actors resulting in more than $180 million in court-ordered restitution and judgments for brands and victims.