Mobile phone companies push for tax relief to drive up sales
New Delhi: India’s mobile phone industry has reached out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reduce the goods and services tax (GST) on handsets to 5%, saying they have already paid an additional ₹81,800 crore from 2020-21 to 2024-25 due to an increase in the levy in 2020 to 18%.
In a letter dated August 25, exclusively seen by ET, the industry said smartphone sales in India have stagnated at around 150 million per year since 2021 and they are also exploring various methods to enhance affordability and accessibility of handsets.
