E-way bill generation under the goods and services tax (GST) regime rose to 136.08 million in May, a nearly 11 per cent increase from 122.65 million in the corresponding month last year.
On a sequential basis, e-way bill generation was up 2.03 per cent from 133.72 million in April.
The May tally marks the fourth-highest monthly e-way bill generation since the rollout of GST, indicating sustained momentum in domestic trade and logistics activity.
E-way bills are mandatory for the transportation of consignments valued above ₹50,000 and are widely tracked as a high-frequency indicator of domestic trade activity, supply chain movement, and tax compliance.
“The sustained increase in e-way bill generation is a strong signal of expanding economic activity and greater GST compliance. Beyond being a logistics metric, e-way bills serve as a real-time monitor for the movement of goods, making their growth an encouraging indicator for both tax collections and overall business sentiment in the economy,” said Harpreet Singh, partner, Deloitte.
According to Kumar Visalaksh, partner with Economic Law Practice, the rise in e-way bill generation to 136.08 million in May 2026 indicates strong goods movement, sustained economic activity, and continued GST compliance.
“As the fourth-highest monthly figure since GST’s introduction, it reflects robust supply chain participation and the effectiveness of technology-enabled tax administration, while potentially supporting stable GST revenues and offering the government insight into economic trends,” he added.
The numbers come as early indicators for FY27, with private consumption expected to remain a key driver. India Ratings has projected private final consumption expenditure (PFCE) at 7.6 per cent in FY27, slightly up from the estimated 7.4 per cent in FY26.
India’s economic growth is expected to slow to 6.5 per cent in FY27 from the 7.7 per cent estimated by the National Statistics Office (NSO) for FY26, according to a Business Standard poll of 10 economists. This comes as the fallout from the West Asia conflict and the prospects of a below-normal monsoon weigh on economic activity.
Source: Business Standard
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