Over 1,400 flour mills face closure threat over GST levy on branded packs

Many flour mills have shut down their factories due to concerns over business viability

Over 1,400 units, amounting to around three-fourths of the overall registered flour mills across the country, are facing the threat of closure due to the Goods and Services Tax's (GST's) ambit being expanded to all branded food products.

Earlier, the GST Council had announced "nil" duty on loose and "registered but without trademark" branded packs, which prompted many registered trademark brands to surrender their licenses to come out of the tax net. These mills have neither registered their brand with the local or national authorities nor received any "trademark" to recognise their brands. However, they continued to sell their product under a