Government Found 2.17 Lakh Counterfeit Notes of Various Denominations in FY25

The Government told Parliament that 2.17 lakh counterfeit currency notes were detected in 2024-25, compared to 2.23 lakh in the previous financial year. The data covers fake notes seized across various denominations.

Breakdown by Denomination

MoS for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary stated in a written reply in the Lok Sabha that the highest number of fake notes detected was of the ₹500 [MG (New) Series] denomination, with 1,17,722 pieces recorded. This was followed by 51,069 counterfeit ₹100 notes and 32,660 fake ₹200 notes.

Review of Security Features

According to Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, the government and the Reserve Bank of India review banknote security features periodically. Changes to security features or designs are introduced under Section 25 of the RBI Act, 1934, as part of the measures to reduce counterfeiting.

Corporate Asset Growth Data

In response to another question, Chaudhary shared RBI data indicating that net fixed assets of private limited companies grew by 7.6% in 2021–22, 10.3% in 2022–23, and 10.2% in 2023-24. The figures are based on financial statements submitted by corporations to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

In the latest RBI Bulletin, the number of projects sanctioned by banks and financial institutions increased from 401 in 2021-22 to 944 in 2023-24. The total sanctioned project cost rose from ₹1.4 lakh crore to ₹3.9 lakh crore in the same period.

Read more: MHA Issues Alert on Rising Fake ₹500 Notes: How to Check Real Note?

Investment-Related Measures

The government outlined several measures aimed at encouraging private sector investment. These include production-linked incentive schemes, credit guarantee programmes, and changes in foreign direct investment policies. Infrastructure funding has also been supported through mechanisms such as InvITs, REITs, infrastructure debt funds, and public-private partnerships under the Viability Gap Funding scheme.

Conclusion

The number of counterfeit notes detected in FY25 showed a slight decline from the previous year, with ₹500 notes accounting for the majority of cases.

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