June e-way bills 2.6% lower than May, indicating possible GST moderation

Intra-state e-way bills stood at 78.85 million in June, while inter-state e-way bills were at 40.60 million during the month

The generation of e-way bills — a key indicator of goods movement in the country — eased slightly in June, hinting at a possible moderation in goods and services tax (GST) collection for the month. Data from the GST Network (GSTN) showed that 119.48 million e-way bills were generated in June, down 2.6 per cent from 122.65 million in May. 

Despite the month-on-month decline, the June figure marked a 19.3 per cent rise over the 100.1 million e-way bills generated in the same month last year. 

Sequentially, e-way bill volumes had increased by 2.83 per cent in May after a 4.2 per cent dip in April. 

E-way bills are required for transporting goods worth over ₹50,000 within and across states and are viewed as an indicator of trade and economic activity. Businesses will pay GST for June transactions in July. 

Intrastate e-way bills stood at 78.85 million in June, while interstate bills were at 40.6 million. 

The moderation in e-way bills comes even as India’s manufacturing sector posted robust growth in June. The HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global, rose to 58.4 in June — its highest reading in 14 months — up from 57.6 in May. The index was at 58.2 in April and 58.1 in March, signalling strong expansion in output, new orders, and job creation. 

“The government has announced the launch of the new E-Way Bill 2.0 portal, effective July 1, which aims to address taxpayer feedback on continuity and reliability of services, and enhance interoperable functionalities between the existing E-Way Bill 1.0 portal and the new platform. The objective is to ensure seamless business operations and greater resilience during system exigencies,” said Krishan Arora, partner at Grant Thornton Bharat. 

“However, as taxpayers gear up for this transition, there appears to be a decline in the overall volume of e-way bills issued in June 2025 after hitting second highest just a month earlier. This also coincides with reduced GST collection reported for June. Possible reasons could include multiple geopolitical issues and uncertainties that may have affected consumer demand and sentiment. It will be crucial to see how trade sentiment evolves over the coming months, with the finalisation of the pending trade deal with the US and any positive outcomes from the upcoming GST Council meeting,” Arora added.