Chase episode 11: An Imitation Game – A Story On Dharavi’s Fake Leather Bags

Dharavi, in Mumbai, is best known as the world’s largest slum. However, this neighbourhood in the heart of the country’s financial capital is a hive of activity and home to an industry whose value is estimated at Rs 500 million. The counterfeit leather industry has been thriving in Dharavi for decades now. In the narrow lanes of this massive slum are workshops in which fantastic replicas of the most luxe brands are crafted.

From Gucci to Prada, Loius Vuitton to Michael Kors, you name it, they make it. The best part? Some of them are so exquisitely made, you wouldn’t know the difference between the original and the fake. Chase, a collaboration between ScoopWhoop and Newslaundry, lets you in into this shadowy world of counterfeits and experts in Dharavi.