GST Cut on the Cards: Modi’s ‘Double Diwali’ Gift to India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to make the upcoming Diwali a “Double Diwali” for the common people by drastically reducing their tax burden.

Addressing the nation on the occasion of Independence Day on Friday, Modi announced the formation of a dedicated task force to bring in next-generation reforms aimed at transforming India into Viksit Bharat by 2047. He said, “It will be a Diwali gift for the people. We are bringing next-generation GST reforms. This will reduce the tax burden across the country.”

For the last eight years, the government has introduced several reforms in the GST sector and simplified many systems. Now, there is an increasing demand for reviewing them. The newly formed task force will assess GST reforms and engage with state governments for their suggestions. All inputs will be considered before framing the reforms, which are expected to boost MSMEs and small-scale industries.

The PM delivered his longest ever Independence Day address, also the longest by any Prime Minister, speaking for 103 minutes from the ramparts of the Red Fort. In 2024, his speech lasted 98 minutes, but this year he broke that record, starting at 7:33 am and concluding at 9:16 am.

At the same time, Modi also broke Indira Gandhi’s record by delivering 12 consecutive Independence Day speeches from the Red Fort, coming second only to Jawaharlal Nehru, who addressed the nation 17 times in a row.