The BIS has added seven new districts to its mandatory gold hallmarking scheme in the sixth phase, effective March 2, 2026. The expansion brings the total number of covered districts to 380, enhancing consumer protection and gold purity assurance.
Seven additional districts have been brought under mandatory hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts under the sixth phase of the Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery and Gold Artefacts (Amendment) Order, 2026, which came into force on March 2, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) said on Thursday.
"With the roll out of the sixth phase of mandatory hallmarking from March 2, 2026, seven additional districts--Rupnagar in Punjab, Banda in Uttar Pradesh, Beed in Maharashtra, Gomati in Tripura, Katihar in Bihar, Beawar in Rajasthan and Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh--have been included, taking the total number of districts covered under mandatory hallmarking to 380," the BIS said in a statement.
Phased Rollout of Mandatory Hallmarking
The move is part of the phased implementation of mandatory hallmarking being carried out by the Bureau of Indian Standards to ensure the purity of gold jewellery and protect consumer interests. Mandatory hallmarking has been implemented in phases since June 2021.
In the first phase, which took effect on June 23, 2021, hallmarking was made mandatory in 256 districts. The second phase, implemented on April 4, 2022, added 32 districts, taking the total to 288.
This was followed by the third phase on September 8, 2023, which included 55 additional districts, increasing the coverage to 343, the statement said. The fourth phase, effective from November 5, 2024, added 18 districts to bring the total to 361, while the fifth phase, implemented on July 31, 2025, included 12 more districts, expanding the coverage to 373 districts across the country.
Hallmarking Standards and Caratages
Mandatory hallmarking currently covers six caratages of gold jewellery and artefacts--14K, 18K, 20K, 22K, 23K and 24K. However, as per the provisions of IS 1417: 2016, hallmarking for 9K gold is also available as a voluntary grade.
Consumer Verification via HUID
According to BIS, more than 60 crore gold items have been hallmarked with a unique Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number between July 1, 2021 and March 5, 2026. Consumers can verify the authenticity and purity of hallmarked jewellery using the "Verify HUID" feature on the BIS CARE App.
Enforcement and Compliance
BIS also said it continues to undertake enforcement activities against misuse of hallmarking provisions. In the financial year 2025-26, more than 30 enforcement actions were conducted against jewellers for violations related to the Hallmarking Quality Control Order, the statement added. (ANI)
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