Government introduces third phase of mandatory hallmarking, adds 55 districts

The government has launched its third phase of mandatory hallmarking, covering an additional 55 districts. This takes the total number of districts covered by mandatory hallmarking to 343 and is part of the government’s goal of ensuring the authenticity and purity of gold jewellery and artefacts.

Mandatory hallmarking in the additional 55 districts came into effect on September 8, the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council announced on its website. The expansion of the directive was announced by the Bureau of Indian Standards through the ‘Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery and Gold Artefacts (Third Amendment) Order, 2023’. 
 
In order to facilitate the new order, the BIS has ensured that a hallmarking centre has been established in each of the 55 newly included districts and has listed them on its website. The additional districts span numerous states and include Chhindwara and Katni in Madhya Pradesh, Jalore in Rajasthan, and Haridwar and Nainital in Uttarakhand, according to the BIS website.  

Along with contributing to the organisation of the Indian jewellery industry, the introduction and subsequent expansion of mandatory gold hallmarking is designed to safeguard shoppers against counterfeit gold products. This is designed to bolster consumer trust in the Indian gold industry.