There is relief news for India’s economy. Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection has crossed Rs 1.83 lakh crore in February 2026. According to official data, this shows an increase of 8.1% compared to the previous month. The total gross GST revenue till February 28 in the financial year 2025-26 (FY26) stands at Rs 20.27 lakh crore, showing a growth of 8.3% on a year-on-year basis.
Refunds increased, yet net collection strong
Total refunds in February stood at Rs 22,595 crore, which is 10.2% more than last year. Despite the increase in refunds, the government’s net GST revenue was recorded at Rs 1.61 lakh crore, indicating strong tax collections. Domestic revenue stood at Rs 1.36 lakh crore, an increase of 5.3%. Whereas the revenue from imports stood at Rs 47,837 crore, which proved to be the fastest growing segment with a sharp growth of 17.2%. This indicates that foreign trade and import activity remains bullish.
Decline in cess collection
While total GST collections showed strength, net cess revenue stood at Rs 5,063 crore, compared to Rs 13,481 crore in February last year. The decline in cess can become a subject of analysis for policy makers.
Maharashtra is at the forefront
If we look at the state-wise figures, Maharashtra made the biggest contribution. Rs 10,286 crore was collected from Maharashtra on pre-settlement basis. After this came Karnataka and Gujarat. On post-settlement SGST basis, states like Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh recorded positive growth. However, a decline was seen in states like West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir. It is clear from this that the performance of industrialized and big states was better, while some small and eastern states had to face pressure.
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