E-way bill generation hits 13.98 crore in July, second-highest on record

Indian Opinion Analysis

E-way bills are the GST system's main window into physical goods movement, covering every interstate and most intrastate consignments above a value threshold, so the data is watched as a real-time proxy for how formal and informal trade is holding up. The 139.8 million figure, though the second-highest on record, marks a clear deceleration from double-digit growth in May and June, when base effects from the post-rate-rationalisation surge were still boosting comparisons. Import-linked GST revenue shot up 28.8 per cent in July, suggesting much of the e-way bill volume may come from ports and customs warehouses rather than fresh domestic production. With the festive season ahead and the GSTN deferring compliance-tightening changes that were to kick in on 1 August, the next data point, August e-way bills, will show whether the deceleration continues or a festive bump reverses it.