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GST Exemption Manual Measurement Instruments India

GST Council moves surveying chains, theodolites, and traditional rope measures to the 5% GST slab, benefiting India's 4 lakh registered land surveyors.

BL
By blackrose
Correspondent
· Published 9 Apr 2026, 9:55 PM GMT+0000 · 1 min read

The GST Council has reclassified manual measurement instruments — including surveying chains, measuring tapes, theodolites, and traditional rope measures used in land surveys — from the 18% GST slab to the 5% slab. The change benefits India’s approximately 4 lakh registered land surveyors who purchase these instruments regularly.

The move is particularly significant for rural surveyors in states like UP, Bihar, and Bengal where traditional chain-based measurement remains common for Bigha and Katha calculations. Use our complete measurement calculator directory to convert between traditional chain-measured units and modern metric figures.

Key land units measured by surveying chains: Bigha (UP), Katha (Bihar), Marla (Punjab).