Expressnews
Chennai, March 2026: Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the National Standards Body of India under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India, organised a Jeweller Awareness Programme on Hallmarking today at Sri Subham Mahal, 60 Feet Road, Avadi, for the benefit of jewellers in Thiruvallur District. As Thiruvallur is a non-mandatory district under the Hallmarking Regulations, the programme was specifically organised to enhance awareness among jewellers on BIS Hallmarking standards, regulatory requirements and the digital services offered by BIS for voluntary compliance and registration process.
The programme witnessed active participation from jewellers across Thiruvallur district and active involvement of the Office Bearers of the Thiruvallur District Jewellers Association, whose cooperation contributed to the successful conduct of the event.
Shri S. D. Dayanand, Scientist–F / Senior Director & Head, BIS Chennai Branch Office, delivered the Welcome Address and outlined the objectives of the programme. He highlighted that although hallmarking is not yet mandatory in Thiruvallur district, jewellers should proactively adopt hallmarking practices to build consumer trust and stay future-ready. He emphasised that early adoption of hallmarking standards would give jewellers in the district a competitive advantage and ensure alignment with national quality benchmarks. He further noted that BIS remains committed to supporting jewellers through awareness, capacity building and digital facilitation, thereby strengthening the culture of quality and transparency in the jewellery sector. He also stated that the registration process is carried out online, does not have cost implications and is valid for a lifetime. Jewellers Association representatives were also felicitated for their support and collaboration in organising the programme.
A detailed Technical Presentation was delivered by Shri D. Jeevanandam, Scientist–E / Director, BIS Chennai Branch Office. He explained the key provisions of the Hallmarking Scheme, regulatory responsibilities of jewellers, essential requirements under Indian Standards for gold and silver jewellery, hallmarking processes and quality control mechanisms to ensure purity and avoid the presence of prohibited elements. He also elaborated on the importance of HUID (Hallmark Unique Identification), compliance expectations and the dos and don’ts for jewellers to ensure error-free operations. He further explained the process for jewellers to register online through the National Single Window System ( https://www.nsws.gov.in/portal/approval-details/ministry-of-consumer-affairs/registration-of-jewellers-for-selling-hallmarked-jewellery-artefacts ).
Shri D. Jeevanandam also demonstrated BIS’s digital services including the e-BIS portal for online applications and encouraged participants to make effective use of the BIS Care App for consumer grievance redressal, licence verification and product authentication. He also urged jewellers to subscribe to Standards Watch, BIS’s bi-weekly bulletin that provides updates on standards development, revisions and draft standards open for public comments.
An interactive Open House session followed, where participants raised queries related to hallmarking processes, HUID implementation, coordination with Assaying & Hallmarking Centres, documentation requirements and portal usage. BIS officials addressed the queries and assured continued guidance and support for smooth adoption of hallmarking practices in the district.
The programme reinforced BIS’s commitment to building an ecosystem of trust, quality and consumer protection in the jewellery sector by equipping jewellers with the necessary knowledge, tools and resources, and by encouraging voluntary adoption of hallmarking in non-mandatory districts like Thiruvallur. BIS also encourages the public to use the BIS Care App to verify the authenticity of products by checking ISI and CRS Marks and to verify the HUID of jewellery before purchase.
