The Government of India has announced the commencement of the third phase of mandatory hallmarking, effective from September 8, 2023. This development, enacted through the Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery and Gold Artefacts (Third Amendment) Order, 2023, marks another milestone in the country’s commitment to quality assurance and consumer protection.
Under this third phase, an additional 55 new districts have been brought under the ambit of the mandatory hallmarking system. These districts have been included in the system following the establishment of hallmarking centers after the implementation of the second phase of the mandatory hallmarking order. With this expansion, the total number of districts covered by mandatory hallmarking now stands at 343. The detailed list of these newly added districts is accessible on the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) website at www.bis.gov.in under the hallmarking section.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has played a pivotal role in the successful implementation of mandatory hallmarking in the country. The first phase, which came into effect on June 23, 2021, encompassed 256 districts, while the second phase, initiated on April 4, 2022, covered an additional 32 districts. During these phases, more than 4 lakh gold articles have been hallmarked daily, further reinforcing the government’s commitment to ensuring the quality of gold products in the market.
Since the introduction of mandatory hallmarking, the number of registered jewellers has surged from 34,647 to 1,81,590, and the number of Assaying and Hallmarking Centers (AHCs) has risen from 945 to 1,471. Impressively, over 26 crore articles of gold jewellery have been hallmarked with unique Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) numbers, providing consumers with a reliable means of verifying the authenticity and purity of their purchases.
To facilitate this verification process, consumers are encouraged to use the ‘verify HUID’ feature available in the BIS Care app, which can be easily downloaded from the play store. The increasing adoption of this app is evident in the rising number of downloads, which have grown from 2.3 lakhs in 2021-22 to an impressive 12.4 lakhs in the current fiscal year. Moreover, more than one crore ‘verify HUID’ hits have been recorded within the span of the last two years, indicating a strong commitment to consumer empowerment and transparency in the gold market.
