India Expands Mandatory Gold Hallmarking to 55 Additional Districts

• 12 Sep 2023

Recently, the Central government has officially announced the third phase of mandatory gold hallmarking, bringing 55 more districts under its purview.

• The Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery and Gold Artefacts (Third Amendment) Order, 2023 has come into effect as of 8^th September, 2023.

Key Points

• Extended Mandatory Hallmarking: With the implementation of the third phase, an additional 55 districts are now included in the mandatory hallmarking system, where designated hallmarking centers have been established.
• This brings the total number of districts covered under mandatory hallmarking to 343.
• Currently, nearly 4 lakh gold articles are being hallmarked daily, each with a Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number.
• Impact of Mandatory Hallmarking: Since the introduction of mandatory hallmarking, the number of registered jewelers has risen significantly from 34,647 to 1.81 lakh, and Assaying and Hallmarking Centers (AHCs) have increased from 945 to 1,471.
• Verification and Authenticity: Consumers are encouraged to verify the authenticity and purity of hallmarked gold jewelry items by using the 'verify HUID' feature in the BIS Care app, available for download from the Play Store.
• The app has witnessed a surge in downloads, with numbers rising from 2.3 lakhs in 2021-22 to 12.4 lakhs in the current fiscal year.
• High Usage of 'Verify HUID' Feature: Furthermore, the 'verify HUID' feature in the BIS Care App has recorded over one crore hits in the last two years, indicating a significant level of engagement and usage among consumers.