National News
GJEPC Showcases Export Growth Strategies and Membership Benefits at Maharashtra’s District Investment Summit
At the 2025 Summit hosted by the Directorate of Industries, GJEPC emphasized its key initiatives to boost exports, support MSMEs, and empower jewellery manufacturers across districts.
The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) actively participated in the District Investment Summit 2025, organized by the Directorate of Industries (MMR, Mumbai), Government of Maharashtra, on 16th April in Mumbai, under the theme “Attracting Investment, Promoting Growth, Empowering Districts.”
Representing GJEPC, Mr. Mithilesh Pandey, Director – Membership, presented the Council’s wide array of initiatives and services designed to empower gem and jewellery businesses, particularly MSMEs and regional manufacturers.
Mr. Pandey highlighted the core benefits of GJEPC membership, including participation in prestigious platforms like IIJS (India International Jewellery Show) and IJEX (India Jewellery Exposition Centre), along with export facilitation tools such as courier and hand-carry modes, India Post’s Dak Niryat Kendras, and e-commerce tie-ups with platforms like eBay.
He also outlined GJEPC’s efforts to make logistics more affordable through subsidised services, and detailed how members can leverage free trade agreements like CEPA (with UAE) and ECTA (with Australia) to access global markets more competitively.
In addition, Mr. Pandey spoke about business development programs such as buyer-seller meets, the IC Scheme, and Capacity Building Scheme, as well as financial support options like collateral-free loans under the India Jewellery Park Mumbai (IJPM). He further emphasized the comprehensive infrastructure solutions available to jewellery manufacturers, designed to streamline operations and enhance productivity.
The session underlined GJEPC’s commitment to supporting regional growth, empowering entrepreneurs, and making India a global leader in gem and jewellery exports.
National News
Government adds 7 new districts for mandatory gold hallmarking, taking total to 380
New Delhi, March 5, 2026 — In a decisive step towards fortifying consumer safeguards and elevating transparency in the precious metals ecosystem, the Central Government has promulgated the Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery and Gold Artefacts (Amendment) Order, 2026, effective March 2, 2026. This pivotal amendment, issued by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and published in the Official Gazette, revises the territorial annexure originally established under the 2020 Hallmarking Order.
The notification substitutes the prior district schedule with an optimized, expanded framework, progressively incorporating additional jurisdictions to achieve broader nationwide coverage. As part of the sixth phase of phased implementation, this update integrates seven new districts—Rupnagar (Punjab), Banda (Uttor Pradesh), Beed (Maharashtra), Gomati (Tripura), Katihar (Bihar), Beawar (Rajasthan), and Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh)—elevating the total number of districts under mandatory BIS hallmarking to 380.
This calibrated expansion aligns with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act, 2016, and follows extensive stakeholder consultations, underscoring the Government’s commitment to public interest priorities. In notified districts, all gold jewellery and artefacts must now bear the authoritative BIS hallmark, encompassing the BIS logo, precise purity grade (covering 14K to 24K caratages), and requisite identification marks. This standardized certification mechanism effectively mitigates adulteration risks, empowers informed consumer decision-making, and fosters greater accountability across the gold value chain.
Building on successive amendments—including the most recent prior update in July 2025—the 2026 Order accelerates the phased mandate initiated in 2021, transitioning from initial coverage of 256 districts towards comprehensive penetration in tier-2 and tier-3 markets. The initiative reinforces trust in domestic gold transactions amid elevated commodity prices and positions India’s jewellery sector for enhanced global competitiveness through uniform quality assurance protocols.
Industry participants in the newly designated districts are advised to expedite alignment with BIS certification and assaying requirements to ensure seamless compliance and uninterrupted operations.
This forward-looking regulatory measure reaffirms the Government’s proactive stance in delivering value-driven consumer protection while driving sustainable growth in one of India’s cornerstone retail and cultural sectors.
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