Here is an interesting challenge for you. Have a look at the two alternator components at the bottom right of this page. One of them is a fake and the other is genuine. If you use one of these, it will not only have a short life, but also be less efficient than it needs to be. Moreover, it could be a fire hazard too. But can you tell the fake from the genuine?

Fake components are the bane of the average Indian car owner. He or she is partly to blame for this though because of his (her) inherent desire to take short cuts and save money. Combine this with an acute lack of awareness and understanding, and you have one of the biggest stumbling blocks faced by the Indian component manufacturers. It's hard to say if component manufacturers will ever come out on top. It's amazing how counterfeiters manage to find a way around whatever measures manufacturers adopt to safeguard their interests and those of their customers. In an attempt to increase awareness, the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) organised a special exhibit titled Asli-Naqli at the 9th Auto Expo.

Many years ago, as a young boy learning the ropes in a Calcutta workshop, I was required to purchase some head gaskets for a client's car. I was stumped to find this so-called reputed shop that had three identical sets of gaskets on sale. One was an original, the second was a copy of the original while the third was a copy of the copy! Of course, the fakes were much cheaper than the original though they all looked the same. That is the first time I came across the existence of Asli and Naqli - Hindi for genuine and spurious respectively.

Sometimes the fakes are sold at a much lower price that attracts the unaware person looking to save money. Many times however, the fakes are sold at the regular price to unsuspecting buyers. When a buyer gets a cheap price, he or she purchases it thinking its all the same and that the product is just as good as the original. Unfortunately, the fact is that by saving a few rupees initially, they are actually putting themselves in line for major repair bills of thousands of rupees, and pehaps even accidents that could prove to be fatal. Lubricants and filters or bearings and gaskets, brake shoes and pads are all notorious, as are suspension components. Even critical components like a drive shafts or a clutch. Name it it and there will be a counterfeit part for it.

According to figures provided by ACMA, the current market for replacement components is Rs 16, 500 crore, of which Rs. 11,200 is genuine and Rs 5,300 is fake. What is alarming is that figure for fakes is expected to rise to Rs 11,400 crore by 2015, which is a sobering thought indeed.

What would have happened if I had opted to pick up the fake gaskets that day? The owner would have driven away safe in the knowledge his or her car has been repaired. Yet, very soon he would have noticed an increase in oil consumption together with power loss. Drive shaft or suspension failure at speed can be very dangerous too. The counterfeit products cannot stand up to the rigours of everyday motoring and can fail suddenly.

Speaking to a representative made me aware how devious the counterfeiters can be. One company had introduced a special tell-tale seal at one end of the packing tube of its fuel injector. The counterfeiter simply pressed the other end in a way to make the top pop out, inserted it in the inferior article. And when the component failed, it was the reputation of the company that took a beating. Bosch India has been using specially developed holograms on its cartons that incorporate tell-tale tamper detection. Other companies have developed their own methods but the onus still lies on the buyer who may not be well-versed with the latest detection techniques.

So one needs to be aware, and one also needs to trust the workshop. This is one reason why cars should be serviced and repaired at the manufacturer's authorised center or dealer's own facility. But staying out of trouble would cost more as both would charge more. The choice is with the owner.

By the way, the fake is the one on top with the painted wiring. If you look closely, you'll see that the copper conductors are of a thinner gauge. Also, once the conductors heat up, the paint could start burning and possibly be a fire hazard.