Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is encouraging hallmarking scheme for gold jewellery to ensure quality products for the consumers. Efforts are being made to make it mandatory for gold jewellery. BIS has issued 9,005 licences till December 31, 2011 for hallmarking of gold jewellery. 528 licences have also been issued for silver jewellery.
Over 170 hallmarking centres have been recognised in the country by BIS to provide services for small jewellers. The BIS also organises awareness week on hallmarking in various regions through its regional offices. In the first week of December 2011, one such programme was organised in northern region. Focussed publicity was given on hallmarking through electronic, print media and nukkad nataks. Beside this, training programmes for hallmarking personnel were organised at Panipat, Kanpur, Lucknow, Amritsar, Jalandhar & Barog (HP).