Navratri sales in 2025 have hit their highest in a decade, spurred by recent Goods and Services Tax (GST) cuts, government officials said. The tax rationalisation on 375 items reduced prices across a range of goods, incentivising consumers to upgrade purchases from white goods to vehicles-and stimulating a sharp rise in consumption amid the Navratri festival.
Officials noted that by easing the tax burden, the government effectively encouraged confident spending. Retail and brand outlets reported sales growth of 25% to 100%, compared with the same festival period last year.
One key example: Maruti Suzuki received around 3.5 lakh bookings, with nearly 2.5 lakh orders pending, a testament to pent-up demand. Car delivery projections during Navratri were pegged at 2 lakh units, vs. 85,000 units in the corresponding period last year.
The uplift came even as the push for GST rationalisation initially raised concerns among businesses. However, rising consumer affordability combined with pent-up demand over the last 10 days of the festival period fueled the burst.
Meanwhile, GST collection data showed positive momentum: Collections in September 2025 (based on August transactions) grew by 9% year-on-year, marking the fastest growth in four months. This reinforced the government's confidence that tax cuts would boost consumption, even if temporarily weighing on revenues.
The success of this festive sales spree offers early validation of the tax policy reset. With retail and automobile sectors leading the charge, the surge underscores how demand-led growth can be reactivated via targeted fiscal incentives.
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