Y India and the Home Insect Control Association (HICA) have jointly urged the government to reduce GST on household insecticide products from 18% to 5%, saying the move would improve affordability, strengthen preventive healthcare and curb the spread of mosquito-borne diseases across India.
The recommendation was made in a report titled “GST Rationalization for Household Insecticides: A Public Health Imperative”, which noted that products such as liquid vapourisers, coils and aerosols are a key line of defence against diseases like malaria, dengue and chikungunya. The report highlighted that while urban penetration of household insecticides stands at 92–99%, rural adoption remains between 64–73% due to affordability constraints.
Jayant Deshpande, Secretary and Director of HICA, said the high GST burden makes essential insecticide products costly for consumers while allowing illegal and unregulated players to thrive through tax evasion and misclassification. The report also warned that unsafe, substandard alternatives in the market create consumer safety risks and revenue leakage.
Bipin Sapra, Tax Partner at EY India, said lowering GST to 5% could improve access to safe and regulated products, especially in rural and high-risk regions, and support India’s broader preventive healthcare goals.
In Guwahati, demand for mosquito repellents and household insecticides rises sharply during the monsoon season across Assam and the Northeast. Retailers believe a GST reduction would make branded products more affordable for households and help organised companies compete better against low-cost unregulated products commonly sold in local markets.
