India’s GST collections reached Rs 2,31,290 crore in October 2026, up 22.9 per cent from Rs 1,88,125 crore in October 2025, according to provisional data released by the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) on 1 November. The total is the second highest monthly figure since the tax began in July 2017, behind only the Rs 2,42,702 crore recorded in April 2026, after adjusting for the compensation cess that was phased out in February 2026.
Festive season spending helped domestic demand, while a sharp rise in import-linked revenue supplied much of the growth. The October GST collections reflect transactions undertaken in September, and GSTN has cautioned that the numbers are provisional and may change on finalisation. Unadjusted for the compensation cess, the October total ranks third, behind April 2026 at Rs 2,42,702 crore and April 2025 at Rs 2,36,716 crore. The cess was phased out in February 2026, and the adjusted comparison puts October second, behind only April 2026.
What drove GST collections higher
Gross domestic revenue rose 15.8 per cent to Rs 1,59,044 crore, from Rs 1,37,328 crore a year earlier. Revenue from imports rose 42.2 per cent to Rs 72,246 crore, from Rs 50,796 crore, and accounted for close to half of the year-on-year increase even though imports made up about 31 per cent of the month’s gross total. Refunds rose 6.5 per cent to Rs 27,934 crore, from Rs 26,225 crore, a slower pace than the growth in gross revenue.
After refunds, net GST revenue stood at Rs 2,03,356 crore, up 25.6 per cent from Rs 1,61,900 crore in October 2025. Net revenue crossed the Rs 2 lakh crore mark, with net domestic revenue of Rs 1,45,037 crore and net customs revenue of Rs 58,319 crore. Because refunds grew more slowly than gross revenue, net revenue grew faster than the headline gross figure.
Manoj Mishra, partner and tax controversy management leader at Grant Thornton Bharat, said: “October GST collections mark a significant milestone, with gross revenue crossing INR 2.31 lakh crore and growing 22.9 per cent year-on-year.” Saurabh Agarwal, tax partner at EY India, said the October figures reflect the continued resilience of the Indian economy despite persistent global headwinds.
GST collections by component and state
The gross total comprised Central GST of Rs 42,935 crore, State GST of Rs 51,340 crore and Integrated GST of Rs 1,37,015 crore, including revenue from imports. The component figures show how the tax is shared between the Centre and the states, with Integrated GST covering inter-state supplies and imports.
Among states, Maharashtra recorded the highest GST revenue in October at Rs 35,150 crore, up 13 per cent from a year earlier. Bihar and Uttar Pradesh each reported growth of 24 per cent. The state figures are provisional and form part of the same GSTN release, which gives a state-wise break-up alongside the national totals.
For the April to October period of the current financial year, gross GST collections reached Rs 14,77,569 crore, up 13.2 per cent from Rs 13,05,213 crore in the same period last year. Net revenue for the seven months stood at Rs 12,69,486 crore, up 12.6 per cent. The cumulative figures point to steady growth through the financial year, even though monthly totals vary with the timing of festivals and import flows.
What the October GST collections do not settle
The October GST collections do not by themselves show how much of the growth came from higher consumption and how much from higher import values or tax administration. Import-linked revenue can move with commodity prices and the rupee, so a single month’s jump in that component may not repeat. The provisional nature of the release also means the final figures could differ slightly when returns are fully processed.
September’s GST collections had risen 14.7 per cent to Rs 2.03 lakh crore, so October’s 22.9 per cent growth is a clear step up from the previous month. Whether that pace holds in November will depend on festive demand carrying into the next return cycle and on import revenue holding near its October level. The next monthly release will give the first read on both questions, and the finalised October figures will confirm how much of this month’s total survives revision.