Repriced and repacked! Your biscuit, shampoo and water bottles will now be bigger!Remember when a Rs 5 Parle-G pack or a Rs 20 Bisleri bottle felt like such a steal, giving you more than you expected?Those days could soon be back as FMCG companies are planning to bring back these familiar price points by mid-November, with slightly bigger packs to match the new GST rules.

Bigger sizes instead of lesser prices

After the September 22 GST rate cuts, many items had shifted to awkward new prices as there was no clarification from the government about increasing weights. A Rs 5 Parle-G pack became Rs 4.45, a Rs 1 candy fell to 88 paise, and a Rs 2 shampoo sachet went down to about Rs 1.77, leaving shoppers frustrated.The government then issued clarification to some FMCG manufacturers allowing them to pass on the GST rate cut benefits by increasing the weight of the packets instead of reducing prices.Industry executives told ET that now that officials from the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs gave a verbal clarification in meetings with FMCG firms, they can start fresh production by next week with new packets at the already popular prices, but with a 6% to 12% increase in quantity.“Over the next few days, companies will roll out new packs at the popular price points and increased weight,” said Mayank Shah, vice president at Parle Products. Snack production has already restarted, while other categories are modifying pack sizes. For biscuits, the weight will go up by 11–12%.Angelo George, chief executive of Bisleri International, said, “The current price points are inconvenient for consumers,” adding that the companies will soon go back to old popular prices but with higher volume.

Popular prices —Win-win for both!

After the initial GST cut, many products saw temporary price drops: Mondelez revised Bournvita from Rs 30 to Rs 26.69, Oreo from Rs 10 to Rs 8.90, and Gems and 5Star Rs 20 packs to Rs 17.8. Bisleri reduced 500 ml bottles from Rs 10 to Rs 9 and 1-litre bottles from Rs 20 to Rs 18. Retailers often rounded off prices or returned change with small confectionery packs, while digital payments allowed exact amounts.Tarun Arora, chief executive of Zydus Wellness, which makes Complan and Glucon-D, said that popular price points are a win-win for consumers and small retailers alike. Arora said that they make sense from a consumer perspective and are easier for marketing as well.“”It’s still early days, but companies might respond by launching new products at magic price points or even consider reaching out to regulators for guidance or relief,”” he explained.

Many await official clarification

Back in 2017, several FMCG firms were fined by the National Anti-Profiteering Authority for allegedly failing to pass on GST benefits to consumers. This time, however, government officials have clarified that companies will not face penalties if they reintroduce popular price points by increasing pack weight or volume.Dairy major Amul, however, is taking a cautious approach. Jayen Mehta, managing director of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, which markets Amul products, said, “The government’s intent was to lower pricing and we will follow it in letter and spirit. We do not intend to revise the prices and increase grammage because consumers will not get the intended benefit.”Prashant Peres, managing director at Kellanova India and South Asia, told ET last month that price tags in between the “magic” points had caused inconvenience for the industry. “In the short term, there will be some slashing of prices that we will do, or many others will do, because we just can’t turn around the supply chain fast enough. But in the long term, it will be grammage, and we will go to those price points,” he said.

GST 2.0 cuts and benefits

The GST Reforms 2025 mark a major overhaul of India’s indirect tax system, aiming to simplify taxation, reduce the burden on citizens, and stimulate business growth. The reform introduces a new two-slab structure of 5% and 18%, replacing the previous four-tier system. Luxury and sin goods such as tobacco, pan masala, aerated drinks, and high-end cars will now be taxed at 40%, ensuring fairness while maintaining government revenue.The reform significantly reduces GST on essential household items and services and the benefits of these reforms extend across the economy.The government has directed multiple times that the companies must pass on the benefits to the consumers. Earlier, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the Centre is working on a package to provide relief to exporters affected by US tariffs.In an hour-long interview, she told TOI the GST reforms, which came on PM Modi’s directions, focused on ensuring the benefits of rate reduction go to the common man, farmers and small businesses. She said ministries were already working with the industry to ensure that the gains are fully transferred to consumers and pointed to several companies, such as state-run insurers and a leading Indian auto company, announcing plans to reduce prices.While addressing a press conference on ‘GST Bachat Utsav’, Sitharaman also said in quite a few cases, a “more-than-expected” price reduction due to GST reforms has been passed on to end consumers.“We are convinced that on every such items the benefits are being fully passed on to consumers,” she added. The government has also introduced a helpline and an online portal for consumers to register a complaint, in case they are not receiving the benefits of the rate cuts.

New Delhi: As per RBI holiday list, bank branches will be closed for certain days on account of Diwali and related festivities like kali puja, kati bihu, Bhai dooj, across the nation. Bank branches in several cities will be closed on account of Diwali Balipratipada today, 22 October 2025.

When will bank branches be closed over the next few days?

Bank branches will be closed on various accounts in different parts of the country on various days between 21 and 23 October for Diwali festivities. Here’s the detailed list.

Banks will be closed for Diwali (Bali Pratipada)/Vikram Samvant New Year Day/Govardhan Pooja/Balipadyami, Laxmi Puja (Deepawali) on October 22 in  Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar.

Banks were closed in Assam for Kati Bihu on october 18. In several cities –Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, Manipur, Jammu & Kashmir–banks were also closed for Diwali Amavasya (Laxmi Pujan)/Deepawali/Govardhan Pooja on October 21

Bhai Bij/Bhaidooj/Chitragupt Jayanti/Laxmi Puja (Deepawali)/Bhratridwitiya/Ningol Chakkouba: October 23

In the remaining days of October, banks will be closed for the following festivities

Chath Puja (Evening Puja): October 27

Chath Puja (Morning Puja): October 28

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s Birthday: October 31

Apart from the above bank holidays, the second and fourth Saturdays, Sundays of the month are falling on the following dates:

Sunday: October19

Fourth Saturday: October 25

Sunday: October 26

Holidays of the mentioned days will be observed in various regions according to the state declared holidays, however for the gazetted holidays, banks will be closed all over the country.

If you keep a track of these holidays, you would be able to plan bank transaction activities in a better way. For long weekends, you can even plan your holidays well.

Asian equities slipped on Wednesday as investors took a step back following recent gains, while gold and silver tumbled for a second straight day, halting their recent rally. The pullback came after US President Donald Trump suggested that a planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping might not go ahead. Markets in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Wellington, Taipei and Manila all fell. Tokyo also saw a decline, with profit-taking after a strong rally triggered by Japan’s easing political tensions.Nikkei was down 269 points or 0.55%, reaching 49,046 after conservative Sanae Takaichi was elected as Japan’s new prime minister.Hong Kong’s HSI trimmed 342 points or 1.32% to trade at 25,684. Shanghai and Shenzhen also slipped 0.44% and 0.81%, respectively.Meanwhile, South Korea’s Kospi traded flat, adding 3 points to reach 3,827 at 9:26 AM IST.In commodities, gold, which has surged more than 60% since the start of the year and hit multiple records, fell sharply. At one point on Wednesday it dropped to $4,000 an ounce, down from Tuesday’s record peak of $4,381.51. Silver, which has been riding gold’s rally, also fell. The gold rally had been driven by a weaker dollar, expectations of interest rate cuts, falling bond yields and central bank buying. Lingering concerns about the global economy and a fear of missing out also boosted its safe-haven appeal. Trump’s remarks added to market caution. He said on Tuesday that he expected a “good” trade deal with Xi at the APEC summit in South Korea next week. “I think we’re going to have a very successful meeting. Certainly, there are a lot of people that are waiting for it.” He then added, “Maybe it won’t happen. Things can happen where, for instance, maybe somebody will say, ‘I don’t want to meet. It’s too nasty’. But it’s really not nasty.”