Famous Palika Bazaar, Heera Panna In Notorious Markets List 2021. Know Detail Here

2021 Notorious Markets List: The latest edition of the list includes New Delhi's Palika Bazaar, Mumbai's Heera Panna, Kolkata's Kidderpore and popular e-commerce website IndiaMart.com. The list is released annually by US Trade Representative.

New Delhi: In the most recent edition of Notorious Markets List 2021, 5 famous Indian markets find mention. These include New Delhi’s Palika Bazaar, Mumbai’s Heera Panna, Kolkata’s Kidderpore and popular e-commerce website IndiaMart.com. The list is released annually by US Trade Representative. The latest edition was released on Thursday, February 17, 2022.

The 2021 Notorious Markets List identified 42 online and 35 physical markets around the world that are reported to engage in or facilitate substantial trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy. According to US Trade Representative Katherine Pai, trade in counterfeit and pirated goods undermines critical US innovation and creativity and harms American workers.

She also added that this makes the workers involved in the manufacturing of such counterfeit goods more vulnerable. These fake goods may harm the health of these workers.

Famous Among Students, Tourists

Talking about Delhi’s Tank Road located Palika Bazaar, the report added that it is famous among students who want to buy trendy items at cheap prices. It is also an attraction among tourists. The market is flooded with mobile accessories and clothes. The market also sells goods for wholesale to other markets in Delhi like Gaffar Market etc.

The USTR report said IndiaMART, an e-commerce website and mobile app that connects buyers with suppliers, describes itself as the world’s second-largest online business-to-business market. Counterfeit goods can allegedly be found in large volumes on IndiaMART, including counterfeit pharmaceuticals, electronics and apparel.

Heera Panna, located in Mumbai, reportedly offers counterfeit watches, footwear, accessories, and cosmetics. Right holders warn that counterfeit cosmetics sold at this market have health and safety risks. A raid at Heera Panna in September 2021 resulted in arrests for selling counterfeit versions of premium watches.

The famous ‘Fancy Market’ or Kolkata’s Kidderpore allegedly sells counterfeit apparel and cosmetics, often in wholesale quantities. Severe skin problems, rashes, irritation, and eye diseases have reportedly been caused due to the poor quality of the counterfeits, the report said.

Difficult To Conduct Raids

The report also noted that conducting enforcement actions at these locations is challenging, as the markets are located in a residential area and sellers often appear to have advanced knowledge of raids, limiting their effectiveness, it said.

USTR first identified notorious markets in the Special 301 Report in 2006. Since February 2011, USTR has been publishing annually the Notorious Markets List separately from the Special 301 Report, to increase public awareness and help market operators and governments prioritise intellectual property enforcement efforts that protect American businesses and their workers.

(With agency inputs)