How Will GST Reforms Strengthen Consumption Growth Drivers?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- GST reforms to enhance ease of doing business.
- Lower retail prices for essential items.
- Boost for micro, small, and medium enterprises.
- Positive impacts on tax buoyancy and compliance.
- Strengthened economic fundamentals.
New Delhi, Sep 24 (NationPress) The transformative GST reforms are expected to create a lasting positive effect by enhancing the ease of doing business, lowering retail prices, and bolstering consumption growth drivers, according to the RBI in its September bulletin released on Wednesday.
The decisions made by the GST Council during its meeting on September 3 initiated significant structural changes in the GST framework, streamlining rates and processes, as stated by the central bank.
This new framework aims to harmonize the needs of the average citizen with administrative efficiency. Most essential goods now incur either nil or 5 percent GST.
"In addition to rate simplification, the reforms address challenges related to the inverted duty structure. Business-friendly processes have been introduced: simplified registration and return filing, quicker refunds, and reduced compliance costs—particularly advantageous for micro, small, and medium enterprises and startups. Overall, these reforms are anticipated to enhance tax buoyancy, improve compliance, and contribute to a better quality of life as well as the ease of doing business," the RBI bulletin notes.
The RBI also indicated that the production and sales of passenger vehicles are likely to rise in the upcoming festive season, aided by the GST rate cut.
Global uncertainty remains heightened due to the implementation of US trade tariffs on key trading partners and renewed concerns about the fiscal stability of advanced economies. Nevertheless, the Indian economy has shown notable resilience, as evidenced by a five-quarter high growth during Q1:2025-26, driven by domestic factors, the RBI bulletin observed.
It further underscored the strong fundamentals of the Indian economy. Although CPI headline inflation has increased, it has stayed well below the target rate for the seventh consecutive month. System liquidity has remained in surplus, supporting the transmission of policy rate cuts. India’s current account deficit narrowed in the April-June quarter (Q1) of the current financial year compared to last year, buoyed by robust services exports and strong remittance inflows, it highlighted.
Indian equity markets displayed bidirectional movements during August-September, the bulletin added.