Jewellers’ Body GJC Urges Centre To Roll Back 67% Gold Hallmarking Fee Hike, Cites Impact On Small And Lightweight Jewellery

Mumbai: The All India Gem & Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC) has called on the Indian government and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to reverse a 67% hike in gold hallmarking fees. The increased cost, from ₹45 to ₹75 per article, according to the BIS (Hallmarking) Amendment Regulations, 2026, notified on September 14, could disproportionately impact small and lightweight jewellery, potentially widening the gap between compliant and informal businesses.

Hallmarking Fee Increase In a statement on Wednesday, the GJC urged the Centre and BIS to keep the existing ₹45 charge in place until a thorough review and stakeholder consultation are completed. While the council supports hallmarking to guarantee purity, transparency, and consumer protection, it questioned the necessity of such a sharp fee increase when hallmarking volumes and coverage have expanded.

Government data cited by the GJC shows over 60 crore gold articles have been hallmarked with HUID (Hallmark Unique Identification Number) between July 2021 and March 2026, with mandatory hallmarking now extending to 380 districts. GJC chairman Rajesh Rokde requested an explanation for the nearly 67% rise in the per-article charge and highlighted BIS enforcement actions against alleged fake hallmarking, unauthorized centers, and non-compliant jewellery.

Industry feedback to the GJC indicated concerns over aggressive discounting, commercial inducements, and competition among some service providers for hallmarking volumes. The council argued that raising the prescribed fee would not resolve these issues. GJC vice-chairman Avinash Gupta warned that higher compliance costs could exacerbate the economic divide between formal and unauthorised businesses.

The GJC also emphasized the impact on lightweight jewellery, noting that the ₹75 fee, charged per article regardless of weight, would have a larger percentage impact on lower-value products. The council has called for a transparent cost study of Assaying and Hallmarking Centres (AHCs), examination of actual charges and discounts, stronger enforcement against fake hallmarking and unauthorized centers, and consultations with jewellers, manufacturers, and AHCs before any significant fee revision.