India's gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections soared to a new peak in April, signaling sustained economic momentum despite ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
Government data released on Friday showed that gross GST revenue for April reached a record Rs 2.43 lakh crore, an 8.7% increase from Rs 2.23 lakh crore collected in the same month last year.
After adjusting for refunds, net GST collections amounted to Rs 2.11 lakh crore, up 7.3% compared to the corresponding period a year earlier.
Refund disbursements during the month surged 19.3% year-on-year to Rs 31,793 crore, resulting in net GST revenue of Rs 2,10,909 crore for April 2026.
Import-Led Growth
Robust revenues from imports were the primary driver behind the record collections. Gross receipts from imports jumped sharply by 25.8% to Rs 57,580 crore, while gross domestic GST collections recorded a more moderate increase of 4.3%, reaching Rs 1.85 lakh crore.
Net GST revenue from imports saw a remarkable 42.9% surge, far outpacing the marginal 0.3% rise in net domestic collections.
Previous Month and Full Year Performance
The April performance follows a strong showing in March, when net GST collections stood at Rs 1.78 lakh crore, up 8.2% from a year earlier. Gross collections in March had also crossed the Rs 2 lakh crore mark.
For the full financial year 2025-26, gross GST revenue increased 8.3% year-on-year to Rs 22.27 lakh crore. Net GST collections for the year rose 7.1% to Rs 19.34 lakh crore.
Major contributors such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat continued to account for a substantial share of total collections.
