The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is currently assessing the feasibility of making silver hallmarking mandatory across India, a move that would significantly impact the country's vast silver market. This evaluation comes as voluntary hallmarking for silver articles has seen substantial growth, with 59 lakh items hallmarked in FY26, up from over 32 lakh in FY25.
Challenges in Mandatory Rollout
BIS Director General Sanjay Garg highlighted that implementing mandatory silver hallmarking presents greater complexities compared to gold. The silver market is highly diverse, encompassing not only jewelry but also artifacts, utensils, coins, idols, and lamps, sold through both organized and unorganized channels. This broad spectrum makes standardization and enforcement particularly challenging.
Garg emphasized that BIS is proceeding cautiously to ensure the regulatory framework and infrastructure are robust before a nationwide rollout. "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," he stated, indicating a phased implementation.
Operational challenges also persist, with the BIS hallmarking function managed by a small team, heavily relying on private and outsourced partners for assaying and hallmarking centers (AHCs). Currently, around 230 BIS-recognized AHCs are authorized to test and certify silver across the country.
Mandatory HUID for Silver
While mandatory silver hallmarking is still under assessment, the government has already implemented a significant step towards consumer protection: making Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) mandatory for all voluntarily hallmarked silver jewelry and artifacts since September 2025. This measure aims to improve traceability and ensure purity standards.
Under the HUID system, each hallmarked silver article carries a unique six-digit alphanumeric code, alongside the BIS Standard Mark and purity grade. Consumers can use the BIS CARE mobile application to verify details such as the article's purity, type, the jeweler's name, and the assaying center's information, providing end-to-end traceability similar to the gold hallmarking framework.
Boosting Consumer Confidence
The introduction of mandatory HUID has seen strong adoption, with over 17 lakh silver articles hallmarked with HUID numbers within the first few months. This initiative is expected to enhance transparency and boost consumer confidence in the authenticity and purity of silver products in the Indian market. BIS data indicates that silver payals and anklets account for the largest share of hallmarked silver articles by weight, followed by lamps, plates, idols, and coins.