The government has implemented a significant increase in gold hallmarking fees, raising the rate by ₹30 per article from ₹45 to ₹75. According to reports from NDTV Profit, Mint, Business Standard, The Hindu BusinessLine, The Times of India, and Zee News, this revised rate became effective from September 14, 2026, just ahead of the festive season. The new structure introduces a minimum consignment charge of ₹200 for gold consignments, meaning customers submitting one or two gold articles will pay the full ₹200 minimum regardless of the actual per-article calculation. The Bureau of Indian Standards has officially revised its hallmarking charges, implementing this 67% increase in the fee structure. The change comes into effect under the BIS (Hallmarking) Amendment Regulations, 2026, which replaces Schedule IV of the BIS (Hallmarking) Regulations, 2018, as notified in the Official Gazette. For silver articles, the fee remains unchanged at ₹35 per silver article with a minimum consignment charge of ₹150. The revised rates apply to every gold article regardless of its weight, making the increase proportionately more significant for mass-market buyers and middle-income consumers purchasing lightweight gold jewellery.
The All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC) has expressed strong opposition to the fee increase, urging the government and BIS to immediately review the decision and retain the existing charge pending stakeholder consultation. As reported by The Hindu BusinessLine, The Times of India, and Zee News, GJC Chairman Rajesh Rokde stated that while the industry supports hallmarking for purity assurance and consumer protection, the nearly 67% increase in mandatory compliance costs requires examination. The industry body highlighted that hallmarking volumes have expanded enormously, questioning why the per-article charge needs to rise from ₹45 to ₹75 at this stage. GJC Vice Chairman Avinash Gupta raised concerns about aggressive discounting and commercial inducements in the race for hallmarking volumes, emphasizing that compliance must remain commercially sustainable. The Council pointed to government data showing over 60 crore gold articles had been hallmarked with a Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number between July 1, 2021, and March 5, 2026, with mandatory hallmarking expanding to 380 districts by March 2026. Despite these volumes, GJC questioned why the per-article fee needs to increase when economies of scale should result in greater capacity utilisation at hallmarking centres. Rokde emphasized that the focus should instead be on tackling fake hallmarking, unauthorised operations and instances of non-compliance before imposing higher costs on jewellers who follow the rules.
Jewellery stocks experienced significant declines following the announcement of the hallmarking fee increases. Shares of Kalyan Jewellers, PC Jeweller and several other jewellery companies declined by as much as 4% on Wednesday after the BIS increased the gold hallmarking fee. Newly listed Lalithaa Jewellery Mart also touched its 5% lower circuit. The market reaction reflects investor concerns about the impact of higher hallmarking costs on jewellery retailers' margins and operational expenses. According to The Times of India, the nearly 67% increase in the mandatory hallmarking fee could have a greater impact on lightweight and lower-value gold articles, as the revised charge applies to every gold article regardless of its weight. The timing of this hike is particularly concerning as it comes weeks before the Diwali buying season, traditionally the most important period for jewellery sales. The industry concerns centre on the possibility that the higher fixed compliance expense could eventually be passed along the jewellery supply chain, increasing the cost associated with each article. However, as reported by Zee News, the actual impact on consumers depends on how individual jewellers account for the additional expense in their pricing.
The revised BIS fee structure does not mean customers must pay an additional ₹30 for every gold jewellery item. According to Zee News and Business Standard, the ₹75 is the hallmarking fee payable by the jeweller to the recognised hallmarking centre and is not a separate charge that jewellers must collect from customers. The actual impact on consumers depends on how individual jewellers account for the higher cost while setting final prices. This is particularly relevant for lightweight and lower-value gold jewellery, where a flat per-article cost makes up a larger share of the overall price. Customers should check final invoices carefully, ensuring they clearly list gold prices, making charges, taxes and any other fees. The BIS advises consumers to take authentic bills or invoices from jewellers and can verify hallmarked gold articles through the BIS Care app using its 'Verify HUID' feature. For silver jewellery, there is no change as the charge continues at ₹35 per article with a minimum consignment charge of ₹150. The September 14 notification specifically keeps these rates unchanged while raising the gold article fee. The hallmarking fee itself is relatively small compared with the total cost of a jewellery purchase, which also includes the value of gold, making charges and applicable taxes.
The GJC has flagged serious concerns about enforcement against fake and unauthorised hallmarking, pointing to recent BIS actions involving allegedly fake-hallmarked jewellery, unauthorised hallmarking centres and misuse of hallmark symbols in locations including Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Assam and Kanyakumari. As reported by The Hindu BusinessLine, The Times of India, and Zee News, the Council emphasized that enforcement against fake and unauthorised hallmarking should instead be given greater priority rather than raising fees. GJC has sought a comprehensive cost study covering AHC capital and operating costs, capacity utilisation and reasonable returns, along with examination of actual charges, discounts and incentives offered by AHCs. The Council has proposed examining a differentiated fee mechanism for lightweight and lower-value jewellery and assessing whether higher hallmarking volumes can help stabilise or reduce per-article costs. The industry body has called for stronger enforcement against fake hallmarking and consultation with jewellers, manufacturers and AHCs to address underlying viability and governance issues.
