One year on, commodity prices eat into gains from GST rate rejig

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: A year after GST rationalisation, higher commodity prices have eroded a large part of the gains with prices of several products - from food to consumer goods and automobiles - slowly inching up.Within the multiple segments that saw rate reduction, with some of the slabs and cess on most goods being removed, automobiles have emerged as the clearest winner. Consumers initially paid less, demand accelerated and sales touched new highs.Automobile retail sales reached 29 million units during the 11 months ended Aug 2026, rising 20% from a year earlier, according to ICRA.