Business
GST Collections Rise 9.1% to Rs 1.89 lakh Crore In September, Marking 2nd Consecutive Growth
New Delhi: India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections continued their upward trajectory in September 2025, rising by 9.1 per cent to Rs 1,89,017 crore compared to Rs 1,73,240 crore in the same month last year.
According to the data released on Wednesday, the figures mark the second consecutive month of robust growth in GST revenues, reflecting sustained economic activity and improved compliance.
Last month the GST collections increased by 6.5 per cent year-on-year to 1.86 lakh crore in August.
In September, the growth is driven by the domestic component, where CGST, SGST, IGST, and Cess collections all showed positive monthly increases.
The collection data indicates steady growth in GST collections and net revenues for the month, supported by healthy domestic consumption, rising imports, and a significant increase in refunds processed during the month.
India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) system has achieved a major milestone in 2024-25, with a record gross collection of Rs 22.08 lakh crore, showing a 9.4 per cent growth over the previous year.
Daily-use products, packaged foods, and personal care items have been shifted to the 5 per cent slab from 12 to 18 per cent earlier. Companies are expected to cut prices by 4 to 6 per cent, improving affordability and boosting rural demand. Staples such as paneer, chapati and khakhra have even been moved to the zero-tax bracket, making essentials like these cheaper.
Rolled out on September 22, the rationalised GST rates have set the stage for major sectoral transformation by rationalising tax slabs, simplifying compliance, and addressing long-standing issues such as the inverted duty structure.
According to the experts, GST 2.0 has ushered in structural relief across critical sectors, the reforms are likely to accelerate growth by supporting consumption, easing compliance, and strengthening MSMEs, even as luxury and sin goods have been placed in the higher 40 per cent bracket to safeguard revenue loss.
The Target bullseye logo is seen on the outside of its store at the Lycoming Crossing Shopping Center.
Paul Weaver | Lightrocket | Getty Images
Target will report earnings on Wednesday morning as the big-box retailer gears up for the holiday season, gets ready for a new CEO and tries to snap a sales slump.
Here’s what Wall Street expects for the Minneapolis-based retailer’s fiscal third quarter, according to a survey of analysts by LSEG:
- Earnings per share: $1.72 expected
- Revenue: $25.32 billion expected
Target’s sales have been roughly stagnant for four years as it faces stiffer competition and has grown weaker in some of the areas that set it apart in the past, including its eye-catching merchandise, its well-organized stores, and its friendly and helpful customer service. Some customers also boycotted the retailer after it rolled back key diversity, equity and inclusion programs, a dynamic that Target blamed in part in May for its weaker sales results.
Target expects sales to decline again this year by a low single-digit percentage. It said adjusted earnings per share for the year, excluding gains from litigation settlements, will range from about $7 to $9. Most of that range would come in lower than last year, when adjusted earnings per share were $8.86.
Target announced in August that Michael Fiddelke, the company’s chief operating officer and former chief financial officer, would become its next CEO. He will succeed longtime Chief Executive Brian Cornell in February.
On an earnings call in August, the day of Target’s CEO announcement, Fiddelke laid out his three top priorities: reestablishing Target’s reputation as a retailer with stylish and unique items, providing a more consistent customer experience, and using technology more effectively to operate an efficient business.
He said he wouldn’t wait until stepping into the role to make changes.
Last month, Target announced it would cut 1,800 corporate jobs — its largest layoff in a decade. It’s made moves to sharpen its merchandise and get back its fashion sense, including sending its designers to rodeos and ski lodges for inspiration. And it’s tweaked its online fulfillment strategy at stores to try to free up employees’ time to stock shelves and assist customers.
It also rolled out a policy change that shoppers may notice during the holiday season, which it dubbed the 10-4 program. When store employees are within 10 feet of a customer, Target has asked them to smile and show friendly and welcoming body language, such as waving and making eye contact. When a customer is within 4 feet, Target is asking store employees to initiate a conversation by personally greeting the shopper along with smiling.
Target isn’t the only big-box retailer getting a new CEO. Its rival Walmart announced last week that John Furner, the chief executive of its U.S. business, will succeed longtime CEO Doug McMillon. He will start the role on Feb. 1, the same day Fiddelke takes over at Target.
Business
PM Kisan 21st Installment Live Updates: PM Modi To Release Rs 18,000 Crore To Nearly 9 Crore Farmers
PM Kisan 21st Installment Live Updates: The wait for the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi’s 21st installment is now going to be over today, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to release the next tranche of Rs 2,000 shortly at an event in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
“The prime minister will release the 21st installment of PM-KISAN on November 19, 2025, in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu,” according to PM Kisan’s portal.
As per the government data, Rs 18,000 crore will be transferred to nearly 9 crore farmers nationwide. Combined with state schemes, many farmers are receiving additional income buffers ahead of the agri season.
“This instalment comes at a crucial moment: rising input costs, mandi price volatility, and liquidity gaps continue to challenge small and marginal farmers. A deeper lens on how direct benefit transfers are influencing farm decisions, post-harvest management, storage choices, and credit dependency could make for a compelling industry story,” said Amith Agarwal, co-founder and CEO of StarAgri Warehousing & Collateral Management.
PM Kisan: How To Check Beneficiary Status?
1. Visit the official PM Kisan portal: https://pmkisan.gov.in
2. On the homepage, under the ‘FARMERS CORNER’, click on ‘Beneficiary List’.
3. Enter your state, district, sub-district, block, and village.
4. Click ‘Get Report’ to view the list of beneficiaries in your village.
New Delhi: Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella will begin a three-day visit to India on December 10.
The India-born tech leader will travel to Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai as part of his tour, during which he is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and other senior government officials.
Nadella will start his visit in Delhi on December 10, move to Bengaluru on December 11, and conclude in Mumbai on December 12. This will be one of his several visits to India in recent years as Microsoft continues to expand its presence and strengthen its position in the fast-growing cloud and AI services market.
During his earlier visit in January this year, Nadella had announced a $3 billion investment to build cloud and AI infrastructure in India and to support skilling programmes.
At that time, he said India was becoming a global leader in AI innovation and stressed that Microsoft wanted to help make the country “AI-first.” The company also said it would train 10 million more Indians in essential AI skills by 2030.
Microsoft had already exceeded its 2025 target by training 2.4 million people within a year, with a majority of participants coming from Tier-II and Tier-III cities and 65 per cent of them being women.
Rival Google has also announced a major push in India, with a $15 billion investment to set up a state-of-the-art AI hub in Visakhapatnam.
The build-up to Nadella’s visit saw another important meeting on Tuesday, when Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal met Lisa Monaco, President of Microsoft Global Affairs.
After the meeting, Goyal posted on X that the discussion focused on Microsoft’s continued engagement in India and its support for AI-led innovation and infrastructure development.
He added that both sides also explored ways to strengthen the India–US partnership in AI, digital trade, and workforce skilling to ensure inclusive and sustainable growth.
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