BIS conducting surveys to develop silver hall marking framework amid push for quality standards
New Delhi, June 4
The Bureau of Indian Standards is conducting market surveys and assessments to develop a framework for silver hallmarking, said Bureau of Indian Standard Director General Sanjay Garg on Thursday.
Speaking with ANI on the sidelines of a FICCI event, Garg said the exercise is currently at the study stage and no timeline has been fixed for the implementation of mandatory silver hallmarking.
"The work is in progress, we are doing some surveys in the market and assessing what kind of hallmarking infrastructure would be required, what will be the scale and what will be the parameters, what exemptions will be given. We are studying all this. It may take some time, but it is in the process," Garg said when asked about the rollout of mandatory silver hallmarking.
He said BIS is evaluating infrastructure requirements, operational scale, parameters and possible exemptions before finalising any framework.
Garg said BIS is focused on strengthening India's quality ecosystem through collaboration among industry, academia and regulators, along with greater consumer awareness.
Emphasising the importance of quality for India's growth ambitions, he said, "As we are aspiring to be a global manufacturing hub and the third largest economy in the world and it cannot happen without quality."
He added that quality should extend across all sectors of the economy.
"Quality not only in products, quality in systems, quality in service sector, quality in infrastructure, quality in everything," he said.
According to Garg, building a culture of quality consciousness is essential for achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat.
"So we have to have a quality consciousness and culture in the country if we have to become a Viksit Bharat," he said.
On sustainability initiatives, Garg said BIS is incorporating environmental considerations into new and revised standards.
He also said the organisation is examining the possibility of introducing a separate identification mark for green products to help consumers identify sustainable products, while noting that any such proposal would be assessed within the provisions of the BIS Act governing quality certification.
Garg said all these initiatives remain under active consideration as BIS continues work on standardisation and quality frameworks in the country.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Interesting to see India pushing for standardized quality marks. Having worked in international trade, I can say this will definitely boost confidence in Indian silver exports. A smart move for the 'Make in India' vision.
Good initiative but hope BIS doesn't rush into it like gold hallmarking. Small jewelers in tier-2 cities will struggle with compliance costs. Need proper training and subsidies for them. Quality is necessary but should be inclusive. 🤔
As a small jweller in Meerut, I'm actually happy with this direction. Silver market is full of fakes - 950 silver sold as 999, nickel mixed with silver. BIS should also standardize pricing transparency. Quality standards will benefit honest businesses.
Love that BIS is also thinking about green products! Quality with sustainability - that's the future. But let's be honest: how many consumers actually check BIS marks? Need awareness campaigns in regional languages too. My mother in Kerala has no idea what hallmarking means. 📢
From a consumer's perspective in the US, I wish we had something like this for silver! India is setting a great example by protecting buyers. Also, the green product identification mark sounds brilliant - would love to see that globally.
K Kavya N Quality culture is We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.