Infosys wins Rs1,320 crore contract to build GST technology network

New Delhi: India has awarded a contract worth Rs.1,320 crore to Infosys Ltd to build and maintain the technology network crucial for implementing the proposed goods and services tax (GST) system across the country for five years, an official aware of the matter said on Monday.

The government had created a company called GST Network to provide the technology backbone to introduce GST and connect the databases of states and the Centre.

The IT system will allow taxpayers to register their permanent account numbers and file tax returns, as well as process payments online. The move is aimed at stemming tax evasion and widening the base of tax net to a larger cross section.

Infosys, India’s second largest software exporter by sales, will build the technology interface of the GST portal where taxpayers can register themselves, make payments and file returns, the person said.

It will also create the technology platform necessary to transmit the data to the state tax departments and back to the Centre where it will be collated, the person added.

A spokeswoman for Infosys declined to comment.

A strong technology backbone is imperative for the successful rollout of GST—a tax reform that seeks to economically unify the country by subsuming a slew of indirect taxes levied by the central and state governments.

In the first stage, the GSTN will create a seamless technology platform across the country. In the second stage, it will develop systems for assessing and auditing tax returns and filings.

It will be compulsory for dealers with a turnover of more than Rs.10 lakh to register with GSTN. Dealers can register themselves on the portal automatically within three days after applying for registration without any verification by the state government.

Infosys had, in 2012, won a $50 million contract to maintain and develop a website for the government’s corporate affairs ministry for more than six years.

Infosys Technologies Limited