Published: 13 March 2026BIS / PIB / The India MovesRajasthan
BIS Mandatory Gold Hallmarking Extended to Beawar (Rajasthan) and Six More Districts Under Phase VI
AQuick answer
BIS Phase VI mandatory gold hallmarking (March 2026) extended to 7 new districts including Beawar, Rajasthan, ensuring gold purity certification via BIS Hallmark with a six-digit HUID traceable through the BIS Care app, protecting consumers in India — the world's second-largest gold consumer.
Key facts
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) extended mandatory gold hallmarking to 7 new districts in Phase VI (March 2026), including Beawar in Rajasthan.
Mandatory gold hallmarking under BIS ensures purity certification; each hallmarked article carries a six-digit alphanumeric Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number.
The HUID is traceable through the BIS Care mobile application, allowing consumers to verify gold purity, carat, and jeweller details.
India is the world's second-largest consumer of gold (after China), making consumer protection through hallmarking critically important.
Mandatory hallmarking currently applies to 14-carat, 18-carat, and 22-carat gold jewellery; hallmarking centres are established under the BIS Act, 2016.
The BIS hallmark symbol consists of the BIS logo, the purity/fineness (e.g., 916 for 22K), and the six-digit HUID, replacing the earlier year-of-marking stamp.
In March 2026, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) implemented the sixth phase of mandatory gold hallmarking, extending the regime to seven additional districts including Beawar in Rajasthan. With this expansion, mandatory hallmarking now covers virtually all major gold trading centres across India.
Mandatory gold hallmarking — launched in June 2021 — requires all gold jewellery sold in India to carry a BIS Hallmark, which certifies the purity of gold. The hallmark now carries a six-digit alphanumeric Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number traceable through the BIS Care app. Gold purity in India is expressed in carats (22K = 91.6% pure gold). Beawar is a Rajasthan district included in the sixth phase of mandatory hallmarking. The move protects consumers from substandard gold, brings informal goldsmiths into the formal economy, reduces fraud, and aligns India's gold market with global standards. India is the world's second-largest consumer of gold, with annual demand of approximately 700–800 tonnes, and Rajasthan accounts for a significant portion of artisanal gold jewellery production.
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Mains angle
Q: The Bureau of Indian Standards extended mandatory gold hallmarking to Beawar and six more districts under Phase VI. Analyse the significance of the HUID-based hallmarking regime for consumer protection and gold-market formalisation in India.
Answer (50 words):
In March 2026, BIS Phase VI extended mandatory hallmarking to seven new districts including Beawar district in Rajasthan. Every piece now carries a six-digit HUID traceable via the BIS Care app, certifying purity (22K = 91.6 percent), curbing fraud and integrating informal goldsmiths in the world's second-largest gold market.
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Linked questionEasy
What does the six-digit alphanumeric HUID mark on BIS-hallmarked gold jewellery stand for?
Explanation · Correct answer A
HUID stands for Hallmark Unique Identification Number. It is a six-digit alphanumeric code used on BIS-hallmarked gold jewellery and artefacts, along with the BIS logo and purity mark, so that each hallmarked article has a unique traceable identity.
HUID (Hallmark Unique Identification) is a six-digit alphanumeric code stamped on every BIS-hallmarked gold article. Consumers can enter the HUID on the BIS Care mobile app to instantly verify the gold's purity, carat, and the name of the hallmarking jeweller.
Which carats of gold are covered under BIS mandatory hallmarking?
BIS mandatory hallmarking currently applies to 14-carat, 18-carat, and 22-carat gold jewellery. Hallmarking centres are set up and regulated under the BIS Act, 2016.
Why was Beawar, Rajasthan specifically mentioned in Phase VI of gold hallmarking?
Beawar is one of the seven new districts added in Phase VI (March 2026) of BIS mandatory gold hallmarking. Its inclusion is significant because Beawar is an important trade centre in Rajasthan, and extending hallmarking there strengthens consumer protection in the region.
What is India's rank in global gold consumption, and why does it matter for hallmarking?
India is the world's second-largest consumer of gold after China. Because such large volumes of gold jewellery are bought annually, mandatory hallmarking is critical to ensure consumers are not cheated with impure gold, making the BIS hallmarking scheme a major consumer protection measure.
What information does the BIS hallmark symbol on a gold article carry?
The BIS hallmark symbol consists of three elements: (1) the BIS triangular logo, (2) the purity or fineness mark (e.g., 916 for 22-carat gold), and (3) the six-digit HUID. The earlier year-of-marking stamp has been replaced by the HUID for better traceability.
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