Why Business in India Will (Probably) Get Easier: QuickTake Q&A

Any company wishing to sell its wares across India currently faces at least 17 different state and federal taxes. With the introduction of the long-awaited national goods-and-services tax, that number is about to drop to just one. Due for implementation on July 1, the GST will forge one of the world’s biggest single markets for goods and services -- and boost Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pledge to make doing business in India easier.

It’s been a long time coming -- the tax was first proposed in 2006 -- but in April, India’s president cleared the final procedural hurdle by signing off on some GST-related bills. The last flurry of activity will include rolling out the tax’s technological backbone (known as the GST Network) and training around 58,000 tax officers. Some companies want more time to ready for the new regime, but the government is sticking to its timetable.