New Delhi, Sept 29: Certification and branding seem to be the new buzzwords in Indian gold industry, which is trying to reinvent itself, bogged down as it is by recent reports of impurity and low quality of gold. The industry has long been the domain of family jewellers and the consumers have totally depended on the word-of-mouth of the jeweller as far as purity was concerned. But not anymore, say experts as the consumer becomes quality conscious and the industry too tries to put its house in order.

From coming out with certified gold jewellery to using hallmarking and even karatmeters to test the purity of gold, individual jewellery houses are doing it all even though no law exists to that effect, those in the industry say. "All this has been prompted by the entry of foreign players in the jewellery segment. Quality is their main USP and because of the fierce competition they offer, the Indian industry too has to change," says Arun Bhatnagar, president D'damas.

But the main problem is that around 95 per cent of the market is in unorganised sector, scattered in small towns and districts and making them quality conscious is a very difficult task, says Bhatnagar. Bureau Report