Genuine vs counterfeit: how to spot fake electrical goods

A fake breaker that does not trip, or a cable with less copper than its printing claims, passes a visual inspection and works fine — right up to the overload or fault it was supposed to handle. That is the moment counterfeit product costs far more than it ever saved.

This is not a rare problem in the Indian market. Popular brands are copied precisely because people trust them.

Look for the BIS/ISI mark and licence number, holograms and batch codes, and consistent printing. Weigh a coil of cable — genuine full-size conductor is heavier than an under-spec copy. Be suspicious of a well-known brand at a price that seems too good.

But none of these is foolproof. A good counterfeit reproduces the hologram too.

The only reliable protection is buying through the manufacturer's authorised channel, where the product is traceable and carries a genuine warranty the maker will honour. That is the whole point of an authorised distributor.

Everything we sell comes that way — genuine, warranted, with the paperwork to prove it. If a price looks impossible elsewhere, it usually is.