GST collections grow fastest in four years for October, hit ₹2.31 trillion

Import-related GST revenue surged 42.2% to ₹72,246 crore, nearly three times the 15.8% growth in domestic collections, which reached ₹1.59 trillion.AI Quick ReadNEW DELHI: India’s gross goods and services tax (GST) collections grew 22.9% year-on-year to ₹2.31 trillion in October, the fastest growth for the month in at least four years, marking a sharp acceleration in revenue growth amid a surge in import-related collections.

The growth was well above the 4.6% recorded in October last year, and also exceeded the 8.9% in October 2024, 13.4% in October 2023 and 16.6% in October 2022. Revenue from imports jumped 42.2% to ₹72,246 crore, outpacing the 15.8% growth in domestic GST collections, which rose to ₹1.59 trillion from ₹1.37 trillion a year earlier, according to provisional government data released on Sunday.

October marked the fourth month in the current fiscal year in which GST collections crossed the ₹2 trillion threshold and the second-highest monthly collection on record, after the ₹2.43 trillion collected in April 2026.

Collections stood at ₹2.11 trillion in July and ₹2.04 trillion in September. The sharp rise in import-linked collections points to stronger revenue mobilization from imported goods, although the data does not distinguish between the effects of higher import volumes and changes in import values.

Domestic revenue accounted for nearly 69% of gross GST collections in October, with imports contributing the remaining 31%. Net GST collections, after refunds, rose 25.6% to ₹2.03 trillion from ₹1.62 trillion a year earlier, outpacing the growth in gross revenue.

Total refunds increased a more modest 6.5% to ₹27,934 crore. Domestic refunds rose 9.8% to ₹14,007 crore, while export-related refunds processed through ICEGATE increased 3.4% to ₹13,927 crore. Net domestic revenue grew 16.4% to ₹1.45 trillion, while net customs revenue jumped 56.2% to ₹58,319 crore.

For April-October FY27, gross GST collections rose 13.2% to ₹14.78 trillion from ₹13.05 trillion in the corresponding period last year. Net collections increased 12.6% to ₹12.69 trillion. Domestic gross GST revenue grew 7.4% to ₹10.33 trillion during the seven-month period, while import-related revenue climbed 29.3% to ₹4.44 trillion.

Nitin Vijaivergia, partner at Price Waterhouse & Co LLP, said October's GST collections reflected “strong revenue momentum”. While domestic collections grew 15.8%, import revenues surged 42.2%, highlighting the growing contribution of imports to overall GST revenue.

He said the trend merited attention from a domestic manufacturing perspective. Cumulative collections during April-October grew 13.2%, indicating that revenue buoyancy extended beyond a single month, he added. Experts said the sustained growth in import-linked collections highlights the need to strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities.

While the production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes have delivered encouraging results in select sectors, the government may need to revisit and recalibrate schemes in sectors with unutilised budgets to better support the broader objective of an Atmanirbhar Bharat, they said.

“The GST collections for October 2026 reflect the continued resilience of the Indian economy, despite persistent global headwinds. The steady month-on-month rise in revenue indicates strong underlying consumption and improving compliance,” said Saurabh Agarwal, tax partner at EY India.

“The festive season should keep demand buoyant, and collections for the coming month are likely to remain strong. Businesses should use this period to keep their compliance and reconciliation processes robust, so that the benefits of this growth are sustained,” Agarwal said.

The latest collections come amid a broader push to reform the GST framework. M.S. Mani, partner at Deloitte India, said sustained revenue buoyancy, despite the rate cuts introduced last year, was giving the GST Council the confidence and headroom to advance reforms focused on faster refunds, smoother credit flows and reducing compliance friction for businesses.

At its 57th meeting, held in New Delhi on 8 October, the Council recommended faster, system-based refund processing, wider eligibility for input tax credit (ITC) and simplified GST registration for small sellers operating through e-commerce platforms.

It also recommended raising the prosecution threshold from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore, removing arrest provisions under GST and reducing the maximum general penalty from ₹25,000 to ₹10,000. Further changes to the GST framework took effect from 1 November following the notification of provisions under the Finance Act, 2026.

These cover post-supply discounts, credit and debit notes, and GST refunds, including the removal of the minimum ₹1,000 threshold for export refund claims. The measures are expected to simplify tax administration, provide greater clarity to businesses and improve compliance.

Together with the wider reforms recommended by the Council, they could support revenue mobilisation in the coming months.