National News
Gold hallmarking made mandatory for 9 karat jewellery
Nine carat Gold (375 ppt) is now officially under mandatory hallmarking as per BIS Amendment No. 2 .All jewellers and hallmarking centres must comply. Jewellers and hallmarking centres are required to comply with this addition of 9 karat gold(375 ppt) to the mandatory hallmarking list under the BIS regulations. The changes are effective from July 2025. Earlier, categories of 14KT, 18KT, 20KT, 22KT, 23KT, and 24KT gold were in mandatory hallmarking.
More consumers are also turning to 9K-carat gold as higher grades have become very expensive. It is also easier to design jewellery items. By making it mandatory to hallmark 9-karat gold, the BIS hopes to protect consumer interest while also making gold items easier to trace .
over 40 crore gold jewellery items have been hallmarked with a unique HUID, ensuring greater trust and transparency for the consumers in the market.The Bureau of Indian Standards began the fourth phase of mandatory hallmarking under the Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery and Gold Artefacts Amendment Order, 2024, from November 5, 2024.
Additionally, during the fourth phase, 18 additional districts where hallmarking centres have been set up under Mandatory Hallmarking. Following the implementation of the fourth stage, the total number of districts covered under Mandatory Hallmarking now stands at 361.
BIS earlier implemented the first phase of mandatory hallmarking, which was launched on June 23, 2021. This phase covered 256 districts, whereas the second phase commenced from April 4, 2022, where 32 districts were further added.This was followed by the third phase, which was implemented from 6th September, 2023, and covered 55 newly added districts.
Kalyan Jewellers said it will accelerate the rollout of franchise-owned company-operated (FOCO) showrooms to drive expansion in India and overseas. Nearly half its revenue now comes from franchised stores, and most new openings in FY26 will follow the capital-light FOCO model as the company focuses on improving returns and reducing debt.
Thrissur-based jewellery retailer Kalyan Jewellers plans to sharpen its focus on franchise-owned company-operated (FOCO) showrooms as it scales both in India and overseas, according to its Q2FY26 earnings investor presentation. The jeweller said future incremental expansion will be driven largely through capital-light franchise formats, aimed at improving returns and reducing balance sheet leverage.
The company, which has 174 FOCO showrooms in India as of September 30, 2025, has signed letter of intents (LOIs) for 89 new FOCO outlets to be opened in FY26. Its digital-first brand Candere will also expand primarily through the FOCO route, with 54 such showrooms already in place. Internationally, Kalyan said calibrated expansion in the Middle East and entry into the US market will similarly rely on franchise-led stores.
The shift is part of a broader strategy towards capital-efficient growth. The company aims to use 40-50% of profits to repay debt and invest in shareholder returns. Since April 2023, Kalyan has repaid Rs 6,461 crore in working capital loans in India and declared a dividend payout of over 20% for FY25.
The jeweller reported about 31% revenue growth in Q2FY26, supported by 16% same-store sales growth and continued strong new customer additions, which accounted for over 38% of sales. Nearly 49% of quarterly revenue came from franchised showrooms. Margin gains were driven by improved procurement efficiencies and operating leverage.
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