Automobiles To Online Shopping: How GST 2.0 Spurred Consumer Frenzy On Day 1

A new era for Indian consumers began with the launch of GST 2.0 on September 22, with consumer excitement visible in the markets even before the Navratri festival started.

Automobile Sales Hit All-Time High

The automobile industry saw historic numbers on the first day of the new tax structure. With the compensation cess on cars completely removed and smaller sub-4 metre cars moved into the 18 per cent tax slab, showrooms across the country were filled with long queues.  

Maruti recorded its best single-day performance in 35 years with 80,000 inquiries and 30,000 deliveries. Bookings for small cars alone surged by 50 per cent compared to typical festival season rates.  

Hyundai also had its best day in five years, with dealer billings shooting up to 11,000 on September 22.

Tata Motors delivered 10,000 cars and received over 25,000 inquiries, marking a strong start to the festive season.  

For countless families, GST 2.0 turned long-held dreams of buying a new car into a reality, making automobiles an accessible festive purchase.  

E-commerce, Electronics See Major Boost

The excitement was also felt in the digital marketplace as shoppers rushed to buy fashion, home essentials, and other festive items.

Flipkart and Amazon started their festive sales for loyalty program members, with many brands and sellers reporting a significant boost from the GST cuts.

Fashion brand "The Pant Project" saw a 15-20 per cent increase in sales compared to the previous year. Snitch, another fashion brand, reported a 40 per cent jump in online orders.  

Shadow Etail, a seller on both Amazon and Flipkart, saw traffic for home essentials surge by 151 per cent compared to the previous week.

Electronic Sales Spike

Electronics were another big success story, with reduced prices on high-demand products like TVs and ACs. Split AC prices dropped by Rs 3,000- Rs 5,000, while high-end TVs saw price cuts of up to Rs 85,000.

Haier reported almost double the sales of a typical Monday, with many pre-bookings even before the new rates took effect.

Blue Star estimated that its Day 1 sales were about 20 per cent higher than on the same day last year.

TV sales, especially in the 43-inch and 55-inch segments, also saw a major surge. Super Plastronics Pvt Ltd, which sells primarily through Flipkart, reported a 30-35% increase in sales.

GST 2.0 delivered instant relief and sparked widespread consumer joy, reviving demand across multiple industries and igniting the festive season with record-breaking sales from day one.

The reforms come months after the new tax regime, which was seen by many as a "Diwali gift" to the people of India. Described by PM Modi as "a reform dedicated to the people of India," the initiative brought immediate relief through lower prices and simplified tax slabs on daily essentials, making it feel more like a festive bonus than a policy change.