Mandatory hallmarking of gold jewellery expanded to 392 districts

Mandatory hallmarking for gold jewellery and artefacts has been expanded to 392 districts, adding 12 districts across nine states to the BIS framework

India has expanded the scope of mandatory hallmarking for gold jewellery and gold artefacts, raising the number of covered districts from 380 to 392.

 

The latest expansion adds 12 districts across nine states, widening the geographical reach of the country’s gold hallmarking system.

 

The details were issued in the Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery and Gold Artefacts (Third Amendment) Order, 2026, by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. The order was issued on August 3 on the advice of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), under the provisions of the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016. It will come into force from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.

 

Twelve new districts added

 

The 12 newly added districts are in Assam, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. The move will bring more jewellery markets under the revised district-wise mandatory hallmarking framework.

 

Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of additions, with Bhind, Khandwa and Vidisha being included. Maharashtra has added Bhandara to the mandatory hallmarking coverage. Rajasthan has added Kotputli-Behror, while Tamil Nadu has added Kancheepuram. West Bengal has included Jhargram in its mandatory hallmarking list.

 

Kokrajhar and Lakhimpur in Assam have also been included. Panipat in Haryana and Udham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand have been added to the list. Angul in Odisha has also been brought under the mandatory hallmarking framework.

 

Coverage now extends to 392 districts

 

The revised annexure lists 392 districts across 26 states and Union territories. The expanded national coverage is based on the state-wise district count mentioned in the notification.

 

The revised list includes 18 districts in Andhra Pradesh, 12 in Assam, 25 in Bihar, one in Chandigarh, five in Chhattisgarh, eight in Delhi, two in Goa and 25 in Gujarat. Haryana has 21 districts under the framework, while Karnataka has 20 and Kerala 14.

 

The list also includes 19 districts in Madhya Pradesh, 30 in Maharashtra, 12 in Odisha, 20 in Punjab, 26 in Rajasthan, 32 in Tamil Nadu, 13 in Telangana, 39 in Uttar Pradesh, seven in Uttarakhand and 22 in West Bengal.

 

What the expansion means

 

The expansion increases the geographical reach of India’s mandatory gold hallmarking system. With more districts coming under the framework, consumers in the newly included areas will get better access to hallmarked gold jewellery and artefacts.

 

For jewellers operating in the newly added districts, compliance with hallmarking rules under the BIS framework will become mandatory.

 

Earlier hallmarking framework updated

 

The notification said the principal order was originally published in the Gazette of India on January 15, 2020. It was last amended through an order dated April 28, 2026. The August 2026 order marks another update to the district-wise coverage under India’s gold hallmarking framework.

 

Why hallmarking matters

 

Gold hallmarking is a government-backed certification system. It certifies the purity and authenticity of gold jewellery and artefacts. In India, the process is overseen by the BIS.

 

Hallmarking protects consumers from adulterated or substandard gold. It also helps buyers make informed decisions and reduces the risk of fraud in the bullion and jewellery market.