India collected Rs 2.31 lakh crore in Goods and Services Tax (GST) in October 2026. That is 22.9% more than October 2025, and the second-highest monthly collection on record. Only April 2026 was higher, at Rs 2.42 lakh crore (some reports put April at Rs 2.43 lakh crore; the small gap is rounding in different reports).
Updated: November 3, 2026, 10:30 AM IST
Quick Read
- Gross GST: Rs 2.31 lakh crore in October, up 22.9% year-on-year; net GST after refunds: Rs 2.03 lakh crore, up 25.6%.
- Import GST jumped 42.2% to Rs 72,246 crore. Domestic GST rose slower, at 15.8% to Rs 1.59 lakh crore.
- October was the fourth straight month above Rs 2 lakh crore. April-October total: Rs 14.78 lakh crore, up 13.2%.
The Finance Ministry released the provisional data on November 1. GST is the tax on most goods and services in India. When people buy more during festivals, GST collection rises. October 2026 covered the festive season, so a jump was expected. The size of the jump is the news.
Here is the split, per the Finance Ministry data quoted by The Economic Times, Moneycontrol and Deccan Herald. Central GST (CGST) was Rs 42,935 crore. State GST (SGST) was Rs 51,340 crore. Integrated GST (IGST) was Rs 1,37,015 crore in total. That IGST total includes Rs 64,769 crore from domestic deals and Rs 72,246 crore from imports. Refunds were Rs 27,934 crore, up 6.5% from last year.
Why imports did the heavy lifting
Import GST grew almost three times as fast as domestic GST: 42.2% against 15.8%. That means a large part of October’s record came from goods coming into India, not only from shops inside India. It also means the headline 22.9% does not mean Indian shops sold 22.9% more. Domestic growth of 15.8% is still strong, but it is the cleaner read on local demand.
Digital payments back the festive story. The National Payments Corporation of India data quoted by ET shows 25.47 billion digital payments in October, up 23%, worth Rs 31.53 lakh crore, up 16%. People paid more, and paid digitally more.
Growth has sped up through the year: 13.9% in June, 15.4% in July, 14.3% in August, 14.7% in September, then 22.9% in October. Moneycontrol calls it the fastest growth in over four years. That is a fair label for the rate, but one month does not make a trend. November data will show if festive demand held or just shifted forward.
Which states collected most
Maharashtra collected the most domestic GST: Rs 35,150 crore, up 13%. Karnataka was next at Rs 15,922 crore, then Gujarat at Rs 13,516 crore. Some small states, including Sikkim and Ladakh, saw falls, per ET. State totals depend on where companies are registered and where goods are sold, so a state rank is not a full measure of that state’s economy.
Desk check: we did not mix gross and net figures. Gross is before refunds (Rs 2.31 lakh crore). Net is after refunds (Rs 2.03 lakh crore). Some headlines quote only gross. If you see a different October number, check whether it is gross or net first.
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Frequently asked questions
Q: How much GST did India collect in October 2026?
A: Rs 2.31 lakh crore gross, up 22.9% from Rs 1.88 lakh crore in October 2025.
Q: What is net GST?
A: Gross minus refunds. Net GST in October was Rs 2.03 lakh crore, up 25.6%.
Q: Does this mean the economy grew 22.9%?
A: No. GST growth mixes price rises, festive timing, imports and better compliance. It is a tax signal, not a GDP number.
What to watch: November GST data, and whether domestic growth stays near 15% once the festival effect fades.
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