New Delhi, Oct. 9 -- Last month the GST Council implemented the biggest reform to date in the eight-year-old indirect tax system, seeking to simplify it and simulate consumption. More measures to make GST more user-friendly are in the offing, and policymakers expect the tax cuts and simpler structure to boost India's economic growth and investments.

The reforms not only lowered the tax burden, but also eliminated the 12% and 28% slabs. Most products in the 12% slab and some in the 18% slab were moved to 5%. Small cars were shifted from 28% to 18%, and even sports utility vehicles saw an effective cut of 45-50% to 40%. In addition, the GST compensation cess, which brought in Rs.1.49 trillion in FY25, was discontinued.

So how was the gove...