India exempts ocean freight from GST

29 Sep 2023 CW Team

The Indian government has decided to exempt payments for goods imported via ocean freight from the 5% integrated Goods and Services Tax (GST) starting from October 1st. The Finance Ministry has officially notified the changes to the IGST Act concerning the payment of integrated GST on "ocean freight" for imported goods, effectively ending the requirement for importers to pay 5% GST under the Reverse Charge Mechanism. This move aligns with a Supreme Court ruling in the Mohit Minerals case from last year, emphasising the government's position on this matter.

The decision has been applied prospectively, but the industry has been successful in claiming refunds for taxes previously paid in cases where credit was not utilised. In the Mohit Minerals case, the Supreme Court found that imposing a separate levy on Indian importers for the "supply of services" by the shipping line would violate the GST Act, as the importer is already liable to pay IGST for the composite supply, which includes the supply of goods and various services like transportation and insurance in a CIF (Cost Insurance Freight) contract.

Infrastructure Urban

13 Mar 2026

Implementation Status of Jal Jeevan Mission

Since August 2019 the Government has implemented Jal Jeevan Mission to provide assured potable water through household tap connections in rural India. At the start of the mission only 32.3 million (mn) rural households, representing 16.7 per cent, were reported to have tap water connections. States and union territories have reported that 125.8 mn additional rural households have since been provided with tap connections. As a result, of about 193.6 mn rural households roughly 158.2 mn, or 81.71 per cent, are reported to have tap water supply at home.\n\nThe State, district and village level st..

Jal Jeevan Mission Reaches Eighty One Per Cent Rural Coverage

The Government reported substantial progress under the Jal Jeevan Mission, launched in August 2019 to provide tap water to every rural household. At launch only 32.3 million (mn) rural households had tap connections and states and Union territories reported provision of 125.8 mn additional households by March 2026. Consequently, out of about 193.6 mn rural households around 158.2 mn, or 81.71 per cent, are reported to have tap water at home. The Finance Minister announced extension of the mission until 2028 in the 2025-26 budget speech. The Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen, launched in October 20..

Empowering Local Governance for Sustainable Rural Water Supply

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has aligned the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) with the 73rd Amendment to strengthen village level planning and community ownership of water supply. Gram Panchayats, village water and sanitation committees and Pani Samitis are to plan, implement, manage and maintain piped water systems, with gram sabha processes formalising handover and oversight. Implementation support agencies including non government organisations, community based organisations and self help groups have been empanelled to train local committees and promote women participation. Under JJM, the department ..