"We are targeting higher exports to Europe and the US during the current year to tide over slowdown in the domestic sector," SKF Bearings India Ltd head of corporate quality & EHS, Sanjeebit Choudhury said.

While exports contributed 10 per cent of the total turnover in 2000 calender year, completion of Rs 130 crore modernisation of Pune plant and production of hub bearing would see a further push in exports this year, he said. The company, which posted Rs 345 crore turnover in 1999, was expecting higher growth in spite of slowdown with SKF Bearings posting Rs 284 crore turnover in the first nine months of 2000 calendar year.

SKF Bearings India in which AB SKF of Sweden has 51 per cent stake has launched a major offensive against counterfeit manufacturers, Mr Choudhary said adding in an operation yesterday raids were conducted on six premises in New Delhi and large quantity of counterfeit cartons, bearings and stamp machines seized.

The raid follows the company moving the Delhi High Court for permanent injunction restraining infringement of trademark, copyright and surrender of counterfeit products which account for about 40 per cent of the Rs 2,000 crore bearings market, he said.

SKF Bearings has taken these measures pursuant to the proliferation of counterfeit and spurious bearings which has impact customer confidence, Mr Choudhury said.

One third of after-sales automotive component markets in Delhi is of counterfeit brands and products, he said.

With a 29 per cent market share of Rs 1,400 crore organised bearings market, the company had suffered badly in the after sales market, to large number of spurious and counterfeit look-alike products being sold in the market, he said.

In a recently commissioned survey with ORG Marg, market research indicated that as many as 85 per cent of those who stopped using SKF Bearings did so due to the prevalence of counterfeits. Further, a large number in the after-market feel that the counterfeiting SKF Bearings adversely impacts their purchase decision.

Counterfeit products are not only a safety hazard as they are of inferior quality, but also adversely impact government tax revenues.

"We will be aggressively targeting outlets selling counterfeit SKF brands across the country in the near future. The company is changing its packaging and introducing tamper-proof pouches with holograms to dissuade counterfeiting of SKF products," he said.

(PTI)