Punjab has recorded its highest-ever monthly Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection since the rollout of the indirect tax regime, with the state also emerging as the fastest-growing in GST revenue terms, according to officials.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the state reported a gross GST collection of ₹2,987.38 crore in April, while net collections stood at 2,725.08 crore. The figures mark a year-on-year growth of 70.7% in net GST revenue, amounting to an increase of over ₹1,100 crore compared to April last year.
Officials said Punjab also recorded a 66% rise in post-settlement GST collections, placing it ahead of other states and above the national average growth rate.
However, the minister noted that part of the year-on-year increase was influenced by an atypical Integrated GST (IGST) adjustment of ₹859 crore recorded in April 2025. Adjusting for this, the state’s underlying growth stood at 12.57% in gross GST and 10.97% in net GST, indicating steady gains in tax compliance and administration.
The government attributed the improved collections to intensified enforcement and compliance measures. According to the Excise and Taxation Department, anti-evasion drives conducted across sectors resulted in penalties exceeding ₹175 crore. In one such operation targeting the iron and steel sector, nearly 200 vehicles were detained in a single day.
The state government said it has increasingly relied on data analytics, intelligence-based inspections, and coordinated field action to plug leakages and widen the tax base.
The GST regime, introduced nationwide in 2017, subsumed multiple indirect taxes into a unified system, with monthly collections often seen as a key indicator of economic activity and tax compliance trends. Punjab’s latest figures suggest both improved enforcement and a recovery in business activity, officials said.
