Adulterated silver bars and coins laced with nickel, cadmium and lead are spreading across Jaipur, Agra, Salem, Rajkot, Kolhapur and Cuttack as prices rally. Refiners want BIS to enforce mandatory silver hallmarking and refiner licensing by Sept 2025; MCX, BSE and NSE plan quality-certified silver bars on exchanges.

Times of India · Business · 5/26/2026, 10:53:30 AM

With annual silver demand near 7,000 tonnes and investment buying surging, refiners warn that bars, coins and jewellery are routinely adulterated with prohibited metals. Assaying infrastructure trails gold sharply—1,595 hallmarking centres for gold versus 286 equipped for silver. MCX, BSE and NSE are moving to list certified 999-purity silver bars.

ET Retail · 5/26/2026, 7:19:34 AM

With Indian silver demand running at 800-850 tonnes and substandard bars flooding the market, refiners want BIS to enforce hallmarking and license refineries. MCX, BSE and NSE are readying 999-purity certified silver bars, expanding oversight beyond the 286 hallmarking centres now active versus 1,595 for gold.

ET Small Business · 5/26/2026, 5:18:07 AM