India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection rose 6.2 percent year-on-year in January 2026 to Rs 1,93,384 crore, according to official data released on Sunday. The increase was mainly bolstered by strong growth in import earnings and continued domestic economic activity.

The government confirmed that growth was supported by strong domestic activity and healthy growth in import earnings. The gross GST collection for January 2025 was Rs 1,82,094 crore. From April to January 2025-26, the gross collection stood at ₹ 18,43,423 crore, an increase of 8.3% compared to the previous year.

Net GST receipts for January stood at Rs 1,70,719 crore, reflecting a growth of 7.6% over the same period last year. Net GST revenue year-to-date stood at ₹ 15,95,752 crore, a year-on-year increase of 6.8%. Gross tax collection from domestic transactions rose 4.8 percent to Rs 1,41,132 crore, while import revenue saw a sharper growth of 10.1 percent to Rs 52,253 crore.

Refund activity showed mixed trends in January. Total reimbursements declined 3.1% year-on-year to Rs 22,665 crore. Domestic returns fell 7.1 percent to Rs 13,119 crore, while export returns rose 2.9 percent to Rs 9,546 crore, indicating selective sectoral strengths and pressures.

Compensation, which remains a pass-through rate, saw a significant drop to Rs 5,768 crore in January, down 55.6% from Rs 13,009 crore a year earlier. This decline is attributed to recent policy changes where the cess is now imposed only on tobacco and related products, following the reduction in GST rates on approximately 375 items from September 2025.

State-level GST revenue data revealed divergent patterns. Haryana (27%), Maharashtra (15%), Gujarat (13%), Himachal Pradesh (18%) and Punjab (12%) posted big gains. Moderate growth was seen in Tamil Nadu (5%), Karnataka (7%), Uttar Pradesh (2%), Delhi (3%) and West Bengal (1%).

Several regions saw contractions in GST revenue: Madhya Pradesh (-15%), Jharkhand (-6%), Odisha (-10%), Chhattisgarh (-23%), Ladakh (-30%) and Lakshadweep (-30%). The Union Territories showed mixed results, with Chandigarh down 15% and Puducherry down 11%, while Lakshadweep saw a sharp decline of 30%.

Policy adjustments since September 2025, including reduction in GST rates and reduction in compensable items, have been factors influencing the overall collection.