'Silly statement': Mohandas Pai junks 'Kumbh propaganda', says ₹3 lakh crore spending not revenue

Former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai on Tuesday debunked a social media user's claims related to the earnings from the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. The Maha Kumbh was recently held from January 13 to February 27, 2025 in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj. 

Over 60 crore people from around the world reportedly visited the Maha Kumbh.

Calling the user's claim on Maha Kumbh a "silly statement," Pai explained that much of the spending in the mega event has no GST. He mentioned that food, necessities, boat trips, local spending, unregistered small business, fuel charges, etc. have state taxes and not GST.

"₹3 lakh crore is estimated spending not revenue for the government. GST received is for January, Kumbh was largely in February. We need to wait to see the impact on GST," Pai concluded. 

Citing numbers by the Uttar Pradesh government, a social media user named Bhavika Kapoor wrote: "Kumbh propaganda:- 66 crores people visited, Rs 7000 crores investment and Rs 300,000 crores revenue. Figures given by U.P. Govt."

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 ₹9,155 crore as GST collection.

"What happened to rest ₹44,845 crores GST collection?" Kapoor further asked. 

In the Maha Kumbh Mela, the Uttar Pradesh government invested around ₹7,500 crore to enhance the infrastructure for the event. 

As per the state government, 14 new flyovers, 6 underpasses, and more than 200 widened roads were constructed for the mega event alongside corridors, expanded railway stations, and a modern airport terminal. 

Moreover, a vast ground along the banks of the Triveni Sangam was converted into a sprawling tent city. Divided into 25 sections and spanning over 40 square metres, the tent city was equipped with more than 3,000 kitchens and over 1.5 lakh toilets. 

It also has housing, roads, electricity, water, communication towers, and 11 hospitals. Besides this, more than 7,000 vendors were registered in the city, with 2,000 undergoing skill training for digital payments and around 100 homestays were registered.