Insurance stocks witnessed notable gains in early trade, with Niva Bupa shares leading the surge as the stock climbed 5% to touch a high of Rs 86. It was followed by GIC, which rose 4.2% to hit Rs 402, while ICICI Prudential Life advanced 3.2% to Rs 646.25.
SBI Life shares also saw strong momentum, gaining 3.16% to reach Rs 1,897.80. Meanwhile, the shares of HDFC Life touched a high of Rs 808.50, up 2.5%, and LIC rose 2.4% to Rs 910 at the day’s peak.
The anticipated tax relief on insurance is expected to make policies more affordable, boosting penetration in a sector that has consistently highlighted high GST rates as a barrier to wider adoption.
Alongside the cut in GST on insurance, the government is proposing a significant overhaul of the Goods and Services Tax structure. The new regime is expected to operate with two main slabs of 5% and 18%, while introducing a special 40% slab for luxury and sin goods such as alcohol and tobacco. This represents a move away from the existing 12% and 28% slabs, which will be phased out under the new system.
Essential items, including food, medicines, medical devices, stationery, educational products, and daily-use goods like toothbrushes and hair oil, will continue to be either tax-free or taxed at 5%. Middle-class consumption goods such as televisions, air conditioners, and refrigerators are likely to fall into the 18% category. The government has also highlighted automobiles, handicrafts, farm goods, textiles, fertilisers, and renewable energy as sectors receiving special attention in the restructuring process.In addition, the simplified slab structure is expected to eliminate classification disputes that have arisen over items like namkeens, parathas, buns, and cakes, which were earlier subjected to different tax rates based on varying ingredients. Special rates such as 0.25% on diamonds and precious stones and 3% on jewellery will continue, ensuring support for industry-specific growth.For the alcohol and tobacco sector, the government has proposed a 40% sin tax, applicable to only a handful of items, including tobacco, while the overall incidence of tax on tobacco products would remain unchanged at 88%.The proposed GST 2.0 framework, with its simplified rate structure and targeted reforms, marks one of the most comprehensive changes since the launch of GST.
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