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Informist, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026

MUMBAI – The number of e-way bills generated fell in January from an all-time high in December with the pace of year-on-year growth also slowing down at the start of 2026. E-way bills generated rose 15.8% on year to 136.84 million in January, down from 138.39 million in December, according to data from the Goods and Services Tax Network. At 136.84 million, the number of e-way bills generated January was the second highest of all time.

The on-year pace of rise in e-way bills generation moderated from 23.5% in December and was the slowest in three months. An e-way bill is a GST document for the transport of goods worth more than INR 50,000 within or outside a state. The number of e-way bills generated is considered a lead indicator of economic activity and domestic trade.

An increase in e-way bills generally suggests GST collections would be robust the following month as most transactions are reflected in the next month's collections. India's GST collections grew 6.2% on year to INR 1.93 trillion in January, excluding cess collections. Including cess, the government collected INR 1.99 trillion as GST, up 2.1% on year.

The Economic Survey for 2025-26 (Apr-Mar) said that the next wave of the GST reforms could focus on reimagining the e-way bill system as a facilitator of smooth logistics rather than only a tool for enforcement and control. The survey said policy design could increasingly rely on trust-based and technology-driven compliance models, such as a "trusted dealer" framework, under which taxpayers with a strong compliance record face minimal physical checks and enjoy greater certainty in the movement of goods. In addition, wider use of e-seals and electronic locking systems, integrated with e-way bills and vehicle-tracking technologies could ensure secure, end-to-end tracking of consignents without routine stoppages on the road, it added.  End

Reported by Shubham Rana

Edited by Avishek Dutta

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