National News

GJC celebrates 25 years of gold hallmarking in India with felicitation of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi

Published

1 year ago

April 7, 2025

In a momentous occasion for India’s jewellery sector, the All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC) marked 25 years since the introduction of gold hallmarking in India with a grand celebration and felicitation ceremony honoring Pralhad Joshi, the Hon’ble Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, and Minister of New & Renewable Energy at GJS 2025

The event served not only as a tribute to the journey of hallmarking in India but also as a platform to chart an ambitious roadmap for the future, with a strong focus on expanding hallmarking coverage and fostering technological innovation.

In recognition of his continued support and instrumental role in advancing hallmarking reforms, Pralhad Joshi was felicitated by GJC for his leadership in steering policies that balance consumer protection with industry development. His ministry’s efforts, in collaboration with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), have been central to enhancing transparency and quality assurance in the jewellery sector.

In his address, Shri Joshi reiterated the government’s unwavering commitment to strengthening consumer trust while also simplifying compliance for jewellers. He emphasized the hallmarking system as a critical trust-building mechanism and a significant step toward formalizing and modernizing the Indian gold market.

One of the most significant announcements of the event was a joint goal set by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, BIS, and the jewellery industry: to expand mandatory gold hallmarking to 500 districts across India by the end of this financial year.

This expansion aligns with the broader objective of ensuring uniform quality standards nationwide, preventing consumer fraud, and integrating small and medium jewellers into the formal economy. GJC pledged its full support to assist local jewellers in meeting compliance standards and making hallmarking services accessible, especially in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

In a groundbreaking move to stimulate innovation in hallmarking technology, GJC and BIS jointly announced the launch of a Hackathon aimed at developing a non-destructive testing (NDT) method for hallmarking gold.

This initiative seeks to address a long-standing concern within the industry: the challenge of verifying hallmark authenticity without damaging the piece of jewellery. Currently, traditional methods often involve partial damage or alteration during testing, which discourages on-the-spot verification by consumers and retailers.

The hackathon is open to startups, research institutions, technologists, and innovators across India and will offer funding and incubation support to viable solutions. A successful NDT mechanism would be a game-changer for quality assurance, enabling real-time, damage-free hallmark authentication across retail outlets, trade shows, and even by consumers themselves.

The celebration of 25 years of hallmarking is a testament to India’s evolution into a more structured and credible jewellery market. From its early stages to now becoming an integral part of the industry’s value chain, hallmarking has grown into a symbol of trust, quality, and consumer empowerment.

With the government, BIS, and GJC joining hands to drive expansion and innovation, the next phase of hallmarking promises to be more inclusive, tech-enabled, and consumer-centric than ever before. The GJC’s proactive role in bridging policy, practice, and innovation reinforces its commitment to nurturing a responsible, transparent, and globally competitive jewellery sector in India.

Related Topics:2025 april exhibitions gjc gjs nationalnews tradeevents

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National News

Malabar Group Signs Letter Of Intent With The West Bengal Government To Strengthen CSR Partnerships and Advance Inclusive Development

Rs 20 Crore CSR Commitment For West Bengal In FY 2026–27 To Expand Education, Healthcare, Nutrition, Water Security and Artisan Welfare Initiatives.

Published

4 hours ago

October 1, 2026

JewelBuzz Spread The Buzz

·Strengthens government-corporate collaboration to drive inclusive development across West Bengal

·Supports 11,873 children through 297 Micro Learning Centres across the state

·Provides nutritious meals daily to 1,200 beneficiaries and has completed 629 drinking water wells

·Expands support for healthcare, elderly care, and artisan communities across West Bengal

Malabar Group, a leading diversified business conglomerate and the parent company of Malabar Gold & Diamonds, has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with the Government of West Bengal to strengthen CSR partnerships and expand the impact of its social initiatives across the state. The LOI was exchanged with Finance Minister Dr. Swapan Dasgupta by Thahsil Ahammed, Regional Head (East India), Malabar Gold & Diamonds, along with Sajid N K, Manufacturing Head, Malabar Gold & Diamonds, and Shabeer P K, Senior Manager, CSR. The collaboration marks an important step towards enhancing government-corporate convergence and promoting inclusive and sustainable development through focused interventions addressing community needs.

The engagement is aligned with West Bengal Government’s efforts to establish a more coordinated and outcome-oriented framework for CSR partnerships. The state has also instituted an integrated CSR framework through the Finance Department, State CSR Council, West Bengal CSR Portal and CSR Projects Facilitation Unit to facilitate partnerships between the government, corporates, and philanthropic organisations, while aligning CSR investments with identified development priorities. As a part of its continued contribution towards the social development in the state, Malabar Group has earmarked a total CSR commitment of Rs 20 crore for FY 2026–27.

Malabar Group has been implementing a range of community-focused initiatives in West Bengal through the Malabar Charitable Trust (MCT) and its implementing partner, Daya Rehabilitation Trust (Thanal). These initiatives encompass education, nutrition, healthcare, water security, elderly care, housing, and artisan welfare, with a focus on creating sustainable impact among underprivileged communities.

Under its education initiatives, Malabar Group currently supports 297 Micro Learning Centres, benefiting 11,873 children from underserved communities across West Bengal. The Group has also provided scholarships to 500 girls to support their education. In addition, the Ujjwala Scholarship initiative supports 500 students from the Karigar community in West Bengal, contributing to greater access to education for children from artisan families.

Nutrition remains another important area of intervention. Malabar Group provides nutritious meals daily to 1,200 beneficiaries across the state. The initiative aims to ensure regular access to nutrition among vulnerable communities. Its outreach efforts include daily street medical services that reach around 60 beneficiaries, extending basic healthcare support to underserved sections of society.

Moreover, the Group has completed 629 drinking water wells against a target of 800, helping communities improve access to safe drinking water. Furthermore, the Group has expanded its social welfare initiatives to elderly care and housing. A Grandma Home for 60 elderly women has been proposed in West Bengal to provide accommodation, care, and support to elderly women in need. Through its Samman Awas housing initiative for artisans, Malabar Group has committed to provide 140 houses, including 80 in West Bengal, with the aim of improving living conditions for artisan communities.

Commenting on the initiative, MP Ahammed, Chairman of Malabar Group, said:

“At Malabar Group, CSR is an integral part of our culture, and we believe in creating meaningful and sustainable social impact. Our collaboration with the Government of West Bengal marks an important step in enhancing this approach and strengthening the alignment between corporate social responsibility and the development priorities of the state.

Through our continued engagement with communities, we remain committed to supporting initiatives that enhance access to education, healthcare, nutrition, livelihoods, and essential social infrastructure. We look forward to building on this partnership and contributing to a more inclusive and sustainable future for communities across West Bengal.”

The Letter of Intent further strengthens Malabar Group’s ongoing engagement with communities across West Bengal and provides an opportunity to deepen existing interventions while exploring areas for greater collaboration. West Bengal Government’s CSR framework is designed to connect corporate intent with development priorities at the state and district levels, and facilitate partnerships that can improve quality, alignment, and scalability of CSR interventions.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds has allocated Rs 200 crore towards CSR initiatives for FY 2026–27, with a focus on driving meaningful social needs.