New Delhi, Sep 5 : E-way bill generation increased 7.7 per cent year-on-year to 139.08 million in August, marking the third-highest monthly level on record and pointing to continued momentum in goods movement and formal economic activity.

An e-way bill is an electronically generated document required under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime for the movement of goods valued at more than Rs 50,000, subject to specified conditions and exemptions. The number of e-way bills generated is widely viewed as an important indicator of economic activity, consumption and trade.

The August figure was 9.95 million higher than the 129.13 million e-way bills generated during the same month last year. However, on a month-on-month basis, generation declined marginally by 0.51 per cent from 139.79 million in July.

Despite the sequential dip, August remained among the strongest months for e-way bill generation. Only March, when 140.60 million e-way bills were generated, and July recorded higher monthly volumes.

The sustained elevated level of e-way bill generation indicates continued movement of goods across the country and strong participation by businesses in the formal economy. Higher e-way bill volumes generally reflect increased commercial activity and demand for goods and services.

Saurabh Agarwal, tax partner at EY India, said the continued increase in e-way bill generation reflected sustained growth momentum in India's organised economy.

"The consistent upward trend is a strong signal of underlying economic resilience, driven by improved compliance, formalisation of business activity, and steady consumption demand across sectors,â?? Agarwal said.

The latest data also comes against the backdrop of resilient domestic consumption. Official figures released last week showed that private final consumption expenditure grew 7.1 per cent in the first quarter of FY27, supporting the broader assessment that domestic demand remains firm.

While the pace of e-way bill growth has moderated compared with last year, the near-record monthly volumes suggest that goods movement and formal economic activity continue to remain robust.

/IANS