The government informed Parliament that a total of 2.17 lakh counterfeit notes were detected in the financial year 2024-25. Among these, the highest number were ₹500 notes with the new design, numbering 1,17,722. The figures are slightly lower than last year, when 2.23 lakh counterfeit notes were found. The government and RBI are continuously updating the security features of the notes to deal with counterfeiters.
Fake Currency Notes: On August 12, 2025, the government presented a crucial report on counterfeit notes in Parliament. Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary, stated that a total of 2.17 lakh counterfeit notes were seized in the financial year 2024-25, with the highest number being 1,17,722 notes of the new ₹500 design. Additionally, 51,069 fake ₹100 notes and 32,660 fake ₹200 notes were also seized. This number is slightly lower than the 2.23 lakh counterfeit notes recorded last year.
₹500 Note Most Frequently Counterfeited
According to the data presented by the government in Parliament, the new design ₹500 notes were the most frequently found counterfeit notes in the financial year 2024-25. A total of 1,17,722 such notes were seized, which is the highest among all denominations. Following these, ₹100 and ₹200 denomination notes were the most targeted for counterfeiting. This indicates that the ₹500 note remains a primary target for counterfeiters.
Slight Decrease from Last Year
Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary, informed that a total of 2.23 lakh counterfeit notes were seized in the financial year 2023-24, while this number decreased to 2.17 lakh in 2024-25. However, the decrease in cases of counterfeiting of ₹500 notes was marginal, and it remained at the top in both years.
Preparedness to Tackle Counterfeit Notes
The minister stated that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the government are continuously taking steps together to curb counterfeit notes. The security features of the notes are reviewed periodically, and their designs are changed when necessary, to prevent the activities of counterfeiters.
Emphasis on New Security Technology
The government believes that advanced security features and design changes in banknotes are a continuous process. The RBI regularly issues guidelines to banks and also trains employees to identify counterfeit notes.
Increase in Assets and Investments of Private Companies
In another response given in Parliament, it was also clarified that the net fixed assets of private limited companies in the country are continuously increasing, which is indicative of the expansion of industry and business activities. In 2021-22, it increased by 7.6%, while in 2022-23, this rate increased to 10.3% and remained at 10.2% in 2023-24. With continuous improvement in the investment climate and support from government policies, the number of approved investment projects increased from 401 in 2021-22 to 944 in 2023-24. The total cost of these projects jumped from ₹1.4 lakh crore to ₹3.9 lakh crore, reflecting significant progress in the investment sector.
