India, July 11 -- The rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in July 2017 marked a tectonic shift in India's fiscal architecture, unifying the country into a single economic market for the first time since Independence. The genesis of GST dates back to the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, which set up an empowered committee of state finance ministers to explore the idea in 2000. The Modi government introduced the GST Bill in Parliament in December 2014. Within two years, the 101st Constitutional Amendment was passed with broad support and ratified by more than half the states. The GST Council was instrumental in shaping the consensus. There have been 55 meetings of the Council, and all but one decision was reached unanimously. This isn't just a legislative triumph, but also a case study in cooperative federalism. GST replaced over 17 taxes and 13 cesses with a single, harmonised system. It ended the cascading effect of indirect taxes, dismantled the border check-post system and brought formalisation and transparency. Logistics improved dramatically - trucks now travel 44% more daily than before and inter-state trade has jumped to 35% of GDP in FY22 from 23.5% in FY18. With over 1.4 crore registered taxpayers, GST has significantly expanded India's tax base and reduced the effective tax burden. The average pre-GST indirect tax rate was 15%; by March 2023, it had dropped to 12.2%. A recent PMEAC study quantified total GST-induced tax savings at over Rs.4.3 lakh crore in a single year. Nearly 60% of consumer items now fall under the 5% or lower tax slab, while less than 3% face the highest 28% rate. Far from being a "Centre's tax", GST exemplifies federal cooperation. States retain 100% of SGST, around 50% of IGST, and receive 42% of the Centre's CGST via Finance Commission transfers. Over 70% of GST collections go to states. From FY18 to FY24, states collected Rs.46.56 lakh crore under GST - far higher than the Rs.37.5 lakh crore they would have earned under the old tax regime, despite lower average rates and the pandemic shock. Revenue buoyancy - a measure of tax responsiveness to GDP - rose from 0.72 pre-GST to 1.22 post-GST. Even after the end of compensation in 2022, it has remained a healthy 1.15 India's GST design aligns with global systems but stands out for its technological backbone. The e-way bill, e-invoicing, and faceless compliance mechanisms make GST one of the most advanced digital tax systems globally. Moreover, India's average GST rate (12.2%) is among the lowest in the world, especially for a country with such developmental diversity. This makes India a far more attractive investment destination, offering a predictable and transparent tax regime. GST has achieved what decades of fragmented policymaking could not - a unified Indian market. Today, 85% of Indian firms - up from just 59% in 2022 - view GST positively, with MSME satisfaction climbing to 82%. Ninety-nine per cent of companies are now digitally or semi-digitally prepared for audits and notices, proof that mandatory e-invoicing and auto-populated returns have hard-wired compliance into everyday business. Crucially, 67% of taxpayers (versus 55% last year) say clarifications now settle disputes faster, while sectoral voices celebrate new freedoms: Consumer-goods executives laud "hassle-free" inter-state expansion; energy majors cite stronger balance-sheet planning; life-science firms link lower prices and better debt management to GST-driven efficiencies. These micro-wins echo in macro numbers: Truck productivity has jumped 44% since check-posts vanished, inter-state trade has risen from 23.5% to 35% of GDP, and a PMEAC study reckons annual GST-induced savings at Rs.4.3 lakh crore. With almost 60% of consumer goods now in the 5% slab (and barely 3% subject to the top 28% rate), the tax is both broad-based and progressive. Contrast this with the pre-2017 regime of cascading duties, corrupt border "chokepoints" and "one nation, many markets": a model that wasted economic potential and entrenched informality. By replacing 17 taxes and 13 cesses with a single digital spine, the Modi government has delivered tangible transparency and mobility - turning India's largest tax gamble into a quietly compounding growth dividend. GST stands as a testament to the Modi government's political resolve, administrative capability and commitment to "Sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, and sabka prayas."...