AMCCIE DEMANDS IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWAL OF GOLD HALLMARKING FEE HIKE FROM ₹45 TO ₹75.

Mumbai : The Agrawal Marwadi Chamber of Commerce, Industries & Education (AMCCIE) has expressed serious concern over the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) decision to increase the hallmarking fee for gold articles from ₹45 to ₹75 per article, and has urged the Government and BIS to immediately reconsider the increase and restore the earlier ₹45 fee.
The revised fee came into effect from September 14, 2026, under the BIS (Hallmarking) Amendment Regulations, 2026, representing an increase of 66.67%. Under the revised schedule, the gold hallmarking fee payable by jewellers to recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centres is ₹75 per article, subject to a minimum ₹200 per consignment. The silver hallmarking fee remains ₹35 per article, with a minimum ₹150 per consignment.

AMCCIE National President Rajesh Agarwal said the organisation fully supports hallmarking, purity assurance, transparency and consumer protection. However, he said such a steep increase in a mandatory compliance cost requires reconsideration.
“We fully support hallmarking. It is essential for purity, transparency and consumer confidence. However, increasing the mandatory hallmarking cost from ₹45 to ₹75 places an additional burden on jewellers, MSMEs and ultimately consumers. Our clear demand is that the earlier ₹45 fee should be restored.”
“The purpose of hallmarking is to strengthen consumer confidence—not unnecessarily increase costs”
Rajesh Agarwal said hallmarking has played an important role in strengthening trust, purity assurance and traceability in India’s jewellery sector. AMCCIE therefore supports strengthening the hallmarking system further.
However, since the fee is charged per article rather than according to the weight of the jewellery, the impact can be relatively significant on lightweight articles. BIS itself states that hallmarking charges apply per article, irrespective of the weight of the jewellery.
“When hallmarking is mandatory, jewellers do not have the option of avoiding this compliance cost. Therefore, while determining the fee, the interests of small jewellers, MSMEs, artisans and consumers must all be taken into consideration.”
AMCCIE’S KEY DEMANDS
AMCCIE has urged the Government and BIS to:
1. Immediately review the revised ₹75 fee and restore the earlier ₹45 per-article charge.
2. Hold comprehensive consultations with jewellers, manufacturers, MSMEs, hallmarking centres and consumer representatives before introducing any future fee revision.
3. Improve the efficiency, transparency and accountability of hallmarking centres.
4. Consider a special concession or preferential fee structure for small jewellers and MSMEs.
5. Conduct a detailed assessment of the impact of the fee on lightweight and lower-value jewellery articles.
6. Give priority to effective action against fake hallmarking, unauthorised operations and non-compliance.
The All India Gem & Jewellery Domestic Council has also called for an immediate review of the nearly 67% increase and has raised concerns about the need to address fake hallmarking and unauthorised operators.

“JEWELLERS NEED SUPPORT, NOT ADDITIONAL BURDEN”
Rajesh Agarwal said India’s jewellery industry is connected with millions of jewellers, artisans, employees, small traders and MSMEs. Any increase in the cost of doing business can therefore have implications beyond the jeweller and may ultimately affect consumers.
“We are not against BIS. We are in favour of a strong, credible and transparent hallmarking system. But the system must also remain commercially practical for jewellers and affordable for consumers. Consumer protection and Ease of Doing Business must go hand in hand.”
He added that a strong MSME sector, a competitive jewellery industry and a business-friendly environment are essential for the vision of Viksit Bharat.
AMCCIE OFFICE-BEARERS ALSO EXPRESS CONCERN
AMCCIE office-bearers and directors, including Mr. Kamalraj Bansal, Mr. Narendra Goyal, Mr. Jagdish Unecha, Mr. Mithalal Jain, Mr. Vinod Sankla and Mr. Manish Tawrawala, along with other office-bearers and directors of the organisation, have also emphasised the need to reconsider the fee increase in the interest of the jewellery industry and consumers.
Rajesh Agarwal appealed to the Government and BIS to review the decision and restore the earlier ₹45 fee, while continuing to strengthen the hallmarking system.
“A stronger hallmarking system, greater consumer confidence and a sustainable jewellery industry can go together. The ₹45 fee should be restored so that jewellers and consumers are not subjected to an unnecessary additional financial burden.”
— Rajesh Agarwal
National President
Agrawal Marwadi Chamber of Commerce, Industries & Education (AMCCIE)