Will silver hallmarking become mandatory? BIS assesses readiness of Indian market

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is assessing the regulatory framework and infrastructure required before making hallmarking of silver jewellery and artefacts mandatory across India, BIS Director General Sanjay Garg said on Thursday.

Speaking on the sidelines of a FICCI event, Garg said silver hallmarking poses greater implementation challenges than gold hallmarking due to the diverse nature of the silver market.

"Silver hallmarking is far more complex than gold, not in terms of process but the kind of market it has," Garg said.

Unlike gold, silver products are sold through both organized and unorganized channels and encompass a wide range of categories, including jewellery, artefacts, utensils, coins, idols, lamps and even furniture. This broad market makes standardization and enforcement more difficult.

"We are studying the implementation process," Garg said, indicating that BIS is currently evaluating how a mandatory hallmarking framework can be rolled out effectively.

BIS's approach

Although voluntary hallmarking of silver has seen strong growth, BIS is moving carefully before making it compulsory.

"We are going intentionally a bit slow as we don't want to make mistakes. We want to set the systems right before making it mandatory," Garg said, adding that the transition to mandatory hallmarking would be implemented gradually.

The BIS chief also highlighted operational challenges. According to him, the hallmarking function within BIS is managed by a team of just five people, while much of the ecosystem depends on private and outsourced partners.

"Operating hallmarking centres with the help of private players and building trust is a Herculean task," he said.

Hallmarking volumes rise

Official data shows significant growth in voluntary silver hallmarking. The number of silver jewellery articles hallmarked increased to 59 lakh in FY26, up from more than 32 lakh articles in FY25.

At present, around 230 BIS-recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centres (AHCs) are authorised to test and certify silver jewellery across the country.

While BIS has not announced a timeline for mandatory implementation, the regulator's comments suggest that groundwork is being laid for a phased rollout once infrastructure and compliance systems are deemed adequate.

Silver HUID marking

While silver hallmarking itself remains voluntary, the government has already made Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) mandatory for all hallmarked silver jewellery and artefacts from September 2025.

The measure was introduced to strengthen consumer protection, improve traceability and ensure that BIS-certified silver products meet declared purity standards.

Under the system, every hallmarked silver article carries a unique six-digit alphanumeric HUID code in addition to the BIS Standard Mark, the word "SILVER" and the purity grade.

How HUID benefits consumers

The HUID system allows buyers to digitally verify the authenticity and purity of silver jewellery and artefacts before purchase.

Consumers can enter the HUID number on the BIS CARE mobile application to access details such as:

Purity of the article
Type of jewellery or artefact
Name of the jeweller
Details of the assaying and hallmarking centre

The system provides end-to-end traceability and is similar to the HUID-based hallmarking framework already used for gold jewellery.

Strong adoption after launch

The mandatory HUID requirement has witnessed strong adoption among jewellers and consumers. Within the first few months of implementation, more than 17 lakh silver jewellery articles were hallmarked with HUID numbers.

Data from BIS shows that silver payals and anklets account for the largest share of hallmarked silver articles by weight, followed by silver lamps, plates, idols and coins.

The HUID initiative is expected to improve transparency in the silver market and boost consumer confidence by making it easier to verify the purity and authenticity of silver products.

(WIth PTI inputs)