The conclusion of the Prayagraj Mahakumbh has witnessed the achievement of various global milestones. The Uttar Pradesh government has not only underscored the event's religious and cultural importance but has also emphasized its substantial economic influence. Recently, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said a boatman’s family earned Rs 30 crore in just 45 days at the Mahakumbha .
Reacting to the news, former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai on Wednesday said he hoped the boatman's family pays tax to Income Tax India, as any other businessman.
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"I hope he will pay @IncomeTaxIndia now that CM himself has spoken about him. Good," Pai wrote on social media platform X.
During his address in the UP State Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath revealed that the family possessed a total of 130 boats, which resulted in a collective net profit of Rs 30 crore over the course of the 45-day event. This equates to an average income of Rs 23 lakh per boat, with each boat generating more than Rs 50,000 on a daily basis.
“A boatman's family, who owned 130 boats, earned a total of Rs 30 crore in just 45 days during the Mahakumbh. This means each boat earned Rs 23 lakh over the 45 days, which translates to about Rs 50,000-52,000 per day,” the CM said on Tuesday.
According to reports, the Mahakumbh event generated a business turnover of Rs 3 lakh crore and is expected to bring in revenue of Rs 55,000 crore for the state. The festival also created numerous employment opportunities, both direct and indirect, for millions of individuals.
Mahakumbh and UP state economy
With an estimated attendance of 66 crore devotees, the Mahakumbh 2025 is considered one of the largest religious gatherings in history. The economic impact of the event was substantial, with 16 banks opening branches on-site and processing transactions totaling Rs 37 crore.
To ensure the successful organization of the event, the Uttar Pradesh government allocated Rs 7,000 crore, while the central government invested Rs 15,000 crore in Prayagraj.
On Tuesday, a user claimed 66 crores people visited (Kumbh Mela), Rs 7,000 crores investment and Rs 300,000 crores revenue….It means Uttar Pradesh should have received Rs 54,000 crores GST collection in February.
The user further claimed that by this logic, the UP government should have received around ₹54,000 crore in GST collection for February but the state has received only Rs 9,155 crore as GST collection.
"66 crores people visited (Kumbh Mela), Rs 7,000 crores investment and Rs 300,000 crores revenue….It means Uttar Pradesh should have received 54,000 crores GST collection in February. But, Uttar Pradesh received only Rs 9155 crores as GST collection! What happened to rest ₹44,845 crores GST collection?" the user wrote.
Meanwhile, former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai dismissed a social media user's claims on the earnings from the recently concluded Maha Kumbh Mela 2025.
Pai dismissed the user's claim about Maha Kumbh as "silly," stating that much of the event's spending is not subject to GST. He pointed out that expenses such as food, necessities, boat trips, local purchases, unregistered small businesses, and fuel are taxed at the state level, not under GST.
"Silly statement. For GST the input tax is a credit so no one on one correlation. Much of the spending has no GST, food, necessities, boat trips, local spending, unregistered small business etc. fuel charges has State taxes not GST. 3l cr is estimated spending not revenue for govt. GST recd in Feb is for Jan, Khumb was largely in Feb. we need to wait to see the impact on GST," Pai noted.
Input tax in GST refers to the tax paid on purchases of goods and services that can be claimed back by businesses as a credit against their output tax liability.
The user raised concerns about the difference between projected and actual GST collections, expressing curiosity about the missing Rs 44,845 crore in GST revenue. This inquiry sheds light on the ongoing dialogue regarding the financial implications of the Maha Kumbh.