India Scales Up Silver Hallmarking as Gold Demand Shifts
By Business Desk
India’s BIS expands silver hallmarking infrastructure nationwide due to increased consumer demand for silver as gold prices rise. Learn more about the HUID system.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is significantly expanding its testing infrastructure for silver jewellery across India. This strategic move responds to a notable consumer shift from expensive gold to more affordable silver, driving up demand for silver articles.
A senior BIS official confirmed plans to establish new referral and assay laboratories for silver nationwide within the next two years. This expansion is critical to accommodate the rising volume of silver articles requiring purity verification.
Expanding Silver Purity Verification
Silver hallmarking, a voluntary practice since 2005, gained enhanced consumer trust with the introduction of a Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number in September 2025. This HUID allows buyers to verify the purity of their silver purchases, directly contributing to increased demand.
- Hallmarking voluntary since: 2005
- HUID number introduced: September 2025
- Hallmarked silver articles FY2024-25: 3.2 million
- Hallmarked silver articles FY2025-26: 5.9 million
- Current Assaying and Hallmarking Centres for silver: 230
The substantial rise in hallmarked silver jewellery, from 3.2 million articles in fiscal year 2024-25 to 5.9 million in 2025-26, underscores the necessity for expanded testing capabilities. Currently, 230 Assaying and Hallmarking Centres are recognized by BIS for silver jewellery assessments.
BIS Operational Enhancements
Beyond silver, BIS maintains robust in-house market surveillance for hallmarked gold jewellery, ensuring consumer confidence without outsourcing these critical checks. The agency’s overall laboratory network has nearly tripled since 2014, significantly bolstering its operational reach.
- BIS’s own laboratories: 10
- Recognized laboratories: 440
- Empanelled private and government labs: 350
- Lab network growth since 2014: nearly tripled
BIS is also actively exploring advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics, to improve testing speed, enhance transparency, and minimize human error. A pilot program for robotic cement testing is already underway, demonstrating this commitment to innovation.
The agency’s diverse mandates extend to a 2016 standard for mobile phones supporting multiple Indian languages for emergency alerts and testing note-sorting machines for counterfeit currency detection for the Reserve Bank of India. Through regular surveillance of ISI-marked products and support for critical infrastructure like organic food export facilities, BIS reinforces product quality and consumer trust.