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The Bureau of Indian Standards has revised hallmarking charges for gold and silver articles, raising the fee for gold to Rs 75 from Rs 45, while retaining the charge for silver at Rs 35, with immediate effect ahead of the festive season. The increase has been notified through the BIS (Hallmarking) Amendment Regulations, 2026, dated September 14, 2026. Under the amended Schedule IV, jewellers are required to pay a hallmarking fee of Rs 75 per article, subject to a minimum charge of Rs 200 per consignment, while for silver articles, the fee payable by jewellers to recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centres (AHCs) is fixed at Rs 35 per article, with a minimum of Rs 150 per consignment. BIS hallmarking verifies the purity of a precious metal used in jewellery and certifies the article under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), containing the three key markings: its logo, Karat or millesimal fineness, and a six-digit alphanumeric code known as the Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID)
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said the government is working on a framework to exempt high-tech sector companies, including from Japan, from mandatory Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification for equipment and components needed to set up manufacturing facilities in India. Goyal said he had taken note of concerns raised by Japanese companies over BIS certification requirements and that the government had already instructed the BIS and the Commerce and Industry Ministry to work on a framework to address the issue. The minister was addressing representatives of Japanese firms from semiconductors and AI sectors here. He said the framework could provide exemptions at the company, industry, product or project level, depending on the requirements. The objective is to ensure timely availability of equipment, goods and services for high-tech companies setting up manufacturing operations in India and support the government's 'Make in India' initiative, Goyal ..
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is preparing to scale up testing of silver jewellery as demand shifts from gold amid a spike in prices, a senior BIS official said, adding that referral and assay laboratories for silver will expand nationally within two years. Silver hallmarking has been voluntary since 2005, and from September 2025 onwards, hallmarked silver articles carry a Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number, enabling buyers to verify purity. "Last year, we introduced HUID for silver jewellery as well, and demand is increasing. We have taken stock of the requirements and are ready to take up silver jewellery testing in a big way in our laboratories," BIS Deputy Director General (Laboratories) Nishat S Haque told PTI. "We will be able to handle the requirement within our own labs for roughly the next two years. Within that period, we will be expanding referral and assay laboratories across the country," she said. The number of silver jewellery articles hallmarked ros
The government has provided one more year till July 31, 2027 to micro and small enterprises from non-leather footwear sector to comply with the mandatory quality control order. The move would give smaller footwear manufacturers more time to obtain BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) certification. It has also allowed footwear manufacturers to import up to 4,500 pairs annually for research, design development, testing, and other non-commercial purposes without meeting QCO (quality control order) requirements. However, these imported footwear have to be marked as "NOT FOR SALE" and have to be disposed of as scrap. Amending the footwear made from all rubber and all polymeric material and its components (Quality Control) order, 2024, the Department For Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) order said in a provision, "for figures, letters and word '31st July, 2026', the figures, letters and word '31st July, 2027' shall be substituted". Commenting on the order, think tank GTRI s
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has published a new voluntary management framework for community seed banks, aimed at protecting traditional crop varieties as climate change threatens the country's agricultural heritage. The standard, IS 20201:2026, lays out requirements covering the full lifecycle of seed bank operations 'from collection and viability testing to storage, documentation and regeneration practices' and is available free of charge on the BIS portal. The consumer affairs ministry said native seed varieties, many of which carry traits such as drought tolerance, disease resistance, and high nutritional value, represent a critical strategic resource for an agrarian economy grappling with erratic rainfall and rising temperatures. "By offering a standardised operating protocol for decentralised, community-led seed banks, IS 20201:2026 aims to promote conservation of these indigenous varieties," the ministry said in a statement. The certifiable standard was developed under
The government has extended the timeline for the rollout of mandatory quality control norms for aluminium cans used in the food processing and beverages industry, providing relief to alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage makers, from cola makers to beer brewers. The move is hailed by the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage makers, who have stated that the extension order will help to bridge the gap between demand and supply before the arrival of the peak summer season. The Cookware, Utensils and Cans for Foods and Beverages (Quality Control) Order, 2026, will be implemented for large arms from October 2026, for small units from January next year, and for micro enterprises from April 2027. As per the order, these goods will have to conform to the respective Indian standards and shall bear the Standard Mark under a licence from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). It was issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) on January 15. DPIIT is an arm of th