Zero-rated exports under GST and IMEC momentum are strengthening Karnataka's trade prospects amid global disruptions.
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor is described as an alternative trade pathway to traditional maritime choke points amid geopolitical tensions, with the potential to improve connectivity and reduce freight and sailing-time costs. Exporters are also said to benefit from the GST regime because exports are treated as zero-rated supplies, allowing refund of input taxes. Recent measures have accelerated refund processing, reduced documentation and compliance costs, and eased working capital pressure.

Fraudulent Input Tax Credit through bogus invoices led to detection of a GST evasion network and arrest of an accused.
Fraudulent availment and utilisation of Input Tax Credit through bogus invoices was detected in a GST evasion network involving a non-functional entity that passed fake ITC without actual supply of goods or services. Investigation also identified a smartphone trading entity as the principal beneficiary, and the son of its director was found to have knowingly availed and utilised fake ITC through paper transactions, attracting contravention of Section 16 and liability under Section 132 of the CGST Act, 2017.

Aviation turbine fuel pricing relief sought as airlines warn rising costs are making operations unsustainable.
Airlines sought urgent revision of aviation turbine fuel pricing and temporary financial support, saying extreme fuel costs, airspace restrictions and the crude-ATF differential were making both domestic and international operations unsustainable. The federation requested uniform use of the earlier crack band pricing mechanism, deferment of excise duty on ATF and a transparent pricing framework that would keep operations viable while preserving a fair margin for oil marketing companies.

GST compliance enforcement targets undocumented goods movement and strengthens monitoring through intelligence-led interception and RFID tracking.
GST enforcement action resulted in a penalty being imposed on a trader for attempting to move goods without proper documentation, in contravention of GST regulations. The trader was kept under surveillance on specific intelligence inputs and intercepted with the assistance of RFID tracking, enabling monitoring of the goods movement. The operation was carried out by the state tax enforcement team under departmental supervision as a compliance measure to ensure adherence to GST norms.

Invoice Management System offline tool streamlines GST invoice actions, validation, and JSON upload for taxpayer compliance.
The GST Invoice Management System has been supplemented with an Excel-based offline tool to improve taxpayer convenience and ease of compliance. The utility enables recipient taxpayers to act on invoice records uploaded through GSTR-1, GSTR-1A, or IFF by accepting, rejecting, or keeping them pending, and to handle individual as well as bulk invoices efficiently. The offline process requires downloading IMS data in JSON format, opening it in the tool, taking the required action, validating the sheet, and generating a JSON file for upload back to the GST portal.

Fraudulent Input Tax Credit network exposed through bogus firms, fake invoices and layered GST routing across multiple states.
Large-scale GST fraud involving the generation and routing of fraudulent Input Tax Credit across multiple States was uncovered by the Commercial Taxes Department. The mechanism involved multiple fictitious business entities issuing fake tax invoices without actual supply of goods and passing ineligible ITC to entities in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The fraudulent ITC was further routed to works contractors and traders for discharging tax liabilities through credit instead of cash payment, causing loss to the government exchequer.

GST input tax credit fraud through bogus firms, forged documents, and fake invoices exposed in a loan-lure racket.
GST input tax credit fraud involving bogus firms was allegedly carried out by collecting Aadhaar and PAN details on the pretext of Mudra loans, obtaining SIM cards, and registering fake GST entities with forged rent agreements and electricity bills. The shell entities were used to generate fake invoices and e-way bills, project fictitious transactions as genuine, and sell fraudulent ITC on commission. A case was registered on a complaint about a non-existent firm claiming ineligible ITC, and one accused was arrested.

Customs cooperation and trade facilitation guide India-Bhutan discussions on border management, data exchange, and transit cargo movement.
Customs cooperation and trade facilitation between India and Bhutan were reviewed through the Joint Group of Customs framework, with attention to border management and cross-border movement of goods. The discussions covered coordinated border management, pre-arrival exchange of customs data, anti-smuggling enforcement, digitisation of customs processes, and transit cargo facilitation through the Electronic Cargo Tracking System, together with border infrastructure, harmonisation of procedures, and maritime enforcement briefings during the port visit.

GST refund fraud through bogus ITC, dummy firms and fabricated export claims led to a major arrest at the airport.
GST refund fraud involving fraudulent availment and encashment of Input Tax Credit through bogus purchases, dummy entities and fabricated export claims. The alleged network used non-functional firms, borrowed KYC documents, fake invoices, layered paper transactions and centrally managed GST registration, invoicing, banking, return filing and refund claims to accumulate ineligible ITC in projected exporter entities. The scheme also involved misdeclaration of low-value tobacco products as high-value exports at inflated values, with no genuine manufacturing infrastructure, doubtful e-way bills, fabricated transport documents and circular fund movement. The matter further records alleged inflation of export turnover to divert bank funds and references related proceedings involving the persons concerned.

Women's reservation and delimitation dominate Maharashtra opposition's criticism of the Prime Minister's address.
Opposition leaders in Maharashtra criticised the Prime Minister's address as containing false claims and failing to address women's reservation properly. They demanded immediate implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Act and objected to any linkage between women's reservation, Census, and delimitation, saying such a connection could affect the electoral structure and delay implementation.

Input Tax Credit fraud detected through supply-chain analysis, with ineligible credit passed on and director arrested.
Fraudulent availment and utilisation of Input Tax Credit under the CGST Act was detected through data analytics and backward supply-chain verification, showing ineligible ITC claimed without underlying supply and breaking the credit chain under Section 16. Ineligible ITC was also passed on to buyers without corresponding supply. The director admitted controlling the transactions but failed to produce documentary evidence, and was arrested under the CGST Act while further investigation continued.

GST credential misuse and fake invoicing alleged in a fraudulent scheme involving fictitious firms and bogus billing transactions.
Misuse of GST credentials was alleged in a fraudulent loan-arrangement scheme in which a local businessman was induced to share his GST ID, password and Aadhaar details on the pretext of obtaining a bank loan. Purchases of nearly Rs 7 crore were later shown under his GST registration without corresponding return filings. Police stated that fake invoices had been generated in the names of about 13 fictitious firms, and investigation was continuing to trace the wider syndicate.

Interest recomputation under GSTR-3B allows correction of auto-calculated delayed-filing interest through the GST Portal.
GST Portal auto-calculates interest on delayed filing of GSTR-3B and auto-populates it in Table 5.1 of the subsequent return, with the breakup available in the system-generated GSTR-3B PDF. If the interest has been computed incorrectly without giving benefit of the minimum cash balance in the Electronic Cash Ledger under the proviso to Rule 88B(1) of the CGST Rules, 2017, taxpayers may use the "RE-COMPUTE INTEREST" option in Table 5.1. The revised interest then appears in the updated PDF and should be manually entered in Table 5.1, not below the recomputed amount.

Wholesale price inflation rises on fuel and manufacturing costs as elevated energy prices and conflict-driven crude shocks persist.
Wholesale price inflation rose to a 38-month high in March, driven mainly by higher fuel and power costs, surging crude petroleum prices and firmer manufactured goods inflation amid elevated global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict. The WPI-based inflation rate increased for the fifth straight month, while food article inflation and vegetable inflation eased. The note also recorded an excise duty cut on petrol and diesel to limit retail pass-through of higher crude oil prices.

Wholesale price inflation surges as crude oil and fuel costs climb, prompting excise duty relief on petrol and diesel.
Wholesale price inflation rose for the fifth straight month in March, driven mainly by sharp increases in fuel and power, crude petroleum and natural gas, manufactured products, basic metals and other manufacturing items. Food articles showed a slower pace of increase, and vegetable inflation softened. The rise was linked to higher global crude oil prices amid the West Asia crisis, prompting a reduction in excise duty on petrol and diesel to prevent pass-through of higher crude costs to consumers.

GST appeal pre-deposit field made editable to address payment mismatches in Form APL-01 filings.
While filing an appeal in Form APL-01 on the GST portal, the pre-deposit percentage was earlier auto-populated at 10% under Section 107(6) of the CGST Act, 2017 and was not editable, creating difficulty where the pre-deposit had already been paid through other means or the demand amount was incorrectly reflected under the relevant head. GSTN has made the pre-deposit field editable from April 6, 2026, so that taxpayers may modify the pre-deposit percentage according to the facts of their case and calculate and pay the required amount while submitting the appeal.

Trade logistics coordination addresses packaging shortages, shipping constraints and supply chain stress amid West Asia disruptions.
Coordination between the Department of Commerce and the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways addressed trade disruptions arising from the West Asia situation, with stakeholder consultations focused on packaging, logistics and shipping constraints affecting exports. The discussions identified pressure on petrochemical inputs such as polymers and resins, rising packaging costs, supply chain stress and liquidity concerns for sectors including MSMEs, apparel, leather, telecom/optical fibre and medical devices. The Government emphasised uninterrupted availability of critical raw materials, time-bound assessment of packaging inputs, mapping of domestic capacity and import dependence, and weekly monitoring of export-import trends and sectoral stress indicators.

Bribery in tax compliance notices led to arrests of a GST official and his aide in Navi Mumbai.
A Goods and Services Tax official and his aide were arrested by the Navi Mumbai Anti-Corruption Bureau for allegedly accepting a bribe in connection with show-cause notices relating to Profession Tax Enrollment Certificate and Profession Tax Registration Certificate. The complaint alleged a demand to settle the notices, and the accused were caught while receiving part of the demanded amount.

Fiscal prudence and capital expenditure strengthen India's room to support affected sectors and preserve macroeconomic stability.
Fiscal prudence has created room for the government to sustain capital expenditure, support sectors affected by the West Asia crisis, and permit further monetary easing if required. India's public finance framework is described as having shifted over the past decade from consumption-led deficits to productive investment-led consolidation, strengthening macroeconomic stability through efficient and transparent spending, comparatively low debt, strong foreign exchange reserves, and recent credit rating upgrades.

GST fraud racket exposed through fake firms, false invoices, and e-way bill manipulation linked to tax evasion.
Police in Meerut district unearthed a GST fraud racket involving fictitious firms, fake invoices, and wrongful accumulation of input tax credit. The gang allegedly used fake Aadhaar and PAN cards to set up companies, filed fraudulent GST returns, and manipulated e-way bills to evade tax and cause a revenue loss of about Rs 17 crore. One accused was arrested on the basis of a tip-off and technical evidence, and the investigation disclosed collusion with an accomplice and other persons involved in the racket.