New Delhi: As India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) approaches its tenth year on July 1, the country’s business community has largely embraced the indirect tax regime, with industry sentiment reflecting strong confidence in the system’s digital framework and ease of compliance.
According to the latest survey by Deloitte, GST, widely regarded as India’s most significant tax reform since Independence, has evolved into a trusted and largely accepted digital ecosystem for businesses across sectors.
The survey indicates that more than 99 per cent of businesses now report either a positive or neutral experience with GST. Negative sentiment has declined sharply, falling to almost negligible levels compared to previous years. Industry experts attribute this improvement to continued digitalisation, increased automation and greater policy stability.
Businesses cited digital compliance systems as one of the biggest advantages of the GST framework. Around 69 per cent of respondents highlighted digitalisation of compliance processes as a key driver of satisfaction, while 54 per cent pointed to automation of tax procedures. Nearly half of the respondents also acknowledged the stabilisation of e-invoicing and e-way bill systems as a major factor in improving ease of doing business.
The report suggests that the next stage of tax reforms, often referred to as GST 2.0, will move beyond basic digitalisation and focus on creating an intelligent, predictive and integrated tax administration system.
Industry participants are increasingly seeking artificial intelligence-based compliance mechanisms, data-driven dispute resolution systems and a seamless taxpayer experience across various digital platforms.
The survey also found that micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are showing growing acceptance of quarterly return filing systems. Positive responses regarding the scheme have increased significantly over the past few years, indicating wider adoption among smaller businesses.
According to experts, technology-driven administration is becoming increasingly important as organisations rely more heavily on digital systems to improve accuracy, efficiency and predictability in tax compliance.
The impact of GST reforms has been particularly visible in sectors such as consumer goods, life sciences and healthcare, where businesses reported benefits arising from rationalisation of tax rates and simplified compliance mechanisms.
GST replaced a complex network of indirect taxes by subsuming 17 central and state taxes along with 13 cesses into a unified national tax system. The reform was introduced with the objective of creating a common market across India while eliminating cascading taxation.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has stated that the implementation of GST 2.0 and rationalisation of tax rates have provided fresh momentum to economic growth by enhancing consumer purchasing power and simplifying tax administration.
According to the Finance Minister, lower tax rates across a range of products have increased disposable incomes and supported consumption demand.
The GST framework has also undergone significant structural changes since its introduction. While the original system comprised multiple slabs of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent, along with cess on luxury and demerit goods, the government introduced a revised two-tier structure in September 2025.
Under the revised framework, most goods and services now fall under either the 5 per cent or 18 per cent tax bracket, while a higher 40 per cent rate continues to apply to luxury and sin goods.
The tax reform has also contributed to greater formalisation of the economy. The number of registered taxpayers has risen from 66.5 lakh at the time of GST’s launch to nearly 1.6 crore in 2026.
GST collections have shown sustained growth as well. Average monthly collections have increased from approximately ₹89,700 crore in 2017-18 to nearly ₹1.85 lakh crore in FY26, while annual revenues crossed ₹22 lakh crore during the fiscal year.
