International Seminar on Compliance to Competitiveness: GST 2.0 Transforming Entrepreneurial Ecosystem [Hybrid, Gurugram]

The School of Law and the School of Commerce & Management at SGT University, Gurugram are hosting a two-day International Seminar on Compliance to Competitiveness: GST 2.0 Transforming Entrepreneurial Ecosystem on 11 and 12 September 2026. The seminar is sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), Ministry of Education, Government of India.

The organisers frame GST as one of the most transformative fiscal reforms of post-independence India, and treat its evolution into GST 2.0 as a catalyst for economic formalisation, digital governance, fiscal federalism, compliance modernisation and entrepreneurial growth. Aligned with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, the seminar is built as a multidisciplinary platform for academicians, policymakers, industry leaders, tax professionals, legal experts, researchers and students. Through keynote addresses, expert panel discussions and research paper presentations it will examine the GST 2.0 reforms, assess their socio-economic and entrepreneurial impact, identify persistent challenges and explore future policy directions.

The seminar runs in hybrid mode. The offline venue is the Shooting Floor of the Rabindranath Tagore Block (A-Block) on the SGT University campus, and the registration fee is the same for online and offline participation.

Shree Guru Gobind Singh Tricentenary (SGT) University, Gurugram is promoted by the Dashmesh Educational Charitable Trust and established under the Haryana Private Universities (Amendment) Act No. 8 of 2013. Recognised by the University Grants Commission, it runs 19 faculties offering over 200 undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD programmes on a 70-acre campus, and holds NAAC A+ accreditation.

The School of Law was established at SGT University in 2014 and carries statutory recognition from the Bar Council of India and the Government of Haryana. It offers UG, PG, PhD, diploma and certification programmes in law.

• Organised by: School of Law and School of Commerce & Management, with special support from the Research & Development Cell
• In collaboration with: Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), Ministry of Education, Government of India
• Knowledge partner: Atal Bihari Vajpayee School of Management and Entrepreneurship (ABVSME), Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
• Convenor: Prof. (Dr.) Richa Chaudhary, Dean, School of Law
• Conference Chair: Prof. (Dr.) Shalini Kapoor, Director, Research & Development Cell

Papers are invited under four tracks. The list below is indicative and drawn verbatim from the brochure.

Track I: GST, MSMEs, Entrepreneurship and Inclusive Formalisation

• GST and formalisation of the informal economy
• Compliance cost and working capital challenges for MSMEs
• Start-ups, innovation and the indirect tax ecosystem
• Women entrepreneurs and tax literacy; rural enterprises
• Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and cooperative models
• Export competitiveness and GST refund mechanisms
• Employment generation and labour market impact
• Financial inclusion and small business sustainability

Track II: Sectoral Transformation, Markets and Consumer Dynamics under GST

• Sectoral impact of GST on manufacturing, services, FMCG, retail and logistics
• Inverted duty structure and manufacturing competitiveness
• GST, digital platforms and the gig economy
• Real estate, tourism, education and healthcare under GST
• GST and consumer welfare: price pass-through and awareness
• Market adjustment and behavioural responses under GST

Track III: GST Reforms, Public Policy, Institutional Framework and Sustainability

• GST 2.0: structural, procedural and legal reforms
• Rate rationalisation and revenue neutrality analysis
• GST Council: institutional design and cooperative federalism
• Constitutional and judicial dimensions of GST
• Appellate mechanisms and the dispute resolution framework
• Anti-profiteering and consumer welfare
• Policy simulation models and economic impact assessment
• GST and the Viksit Bharat Vision 2047
• Green taxation within the GST framework; ESG-oriented GST policy design
• Environmental fiscal reforms and climate-sensitive taxation

Track IV: Fiscal Federalism, Digital Governance and Global Perspectives

• Centre-State revenue sharing and the compensation framework under GST
• Post-compensation era fiscal challenges and revenue sustainability
• Inter-State trade and the IGST settlement mechanism
• Fiscal federalism and Centre-State financial relations under GST
• Comparative analysis of GST and VAT models: EU, ASEAN and OECD economies
• Digital transformation under GSTN
• Artificial intelligence and big data in tax administration
• E-invoicing, automation and real-time compliance systems
• Cybersecurity, data protection and tax fraud prevention
• Blockchain applications in indirect taxation
• Digital public infrastructure and e-governance reforms in taxation

The seminar is open to academicians, policymakers, industry leaders, tax professionals, legal experts, researchers and students. The fee schedule provides separate slabs for faculty and professionals, PhD research scholars, UG and PG students, and foreign delegates, so participation is not restricted to any single discipline or to Indian participants.

Co-authored papers are permitted with a maximum of two authors. Because the registration fee is stated per author, each author of an accepted co-authored paper registers separately.

• Abstract: not more than 300 words, clearly setting out the research question, methodology, key arguments and anticipated conclusions. It must carry 4 to 6 keywords together with the author's full name, designation, institutional affiliation and contact details.
• Full paper: selected abstracts will be notified for full paper submission. The brochure states the length in two places and the two differ: the registration guidelines say 5,000 to 8,000 words excluding references and annexures, while the paper submission panel says 6,000 to 7,500 words. Confirm the applicable range with the organising committee before you submit.
• Formatting: Times New Roman, font size 12, with 1-inch margins on all sides. Line spacing is given as 1.5 in the registration guidelines and as 1.15 in the paper submission panel; again, confirm with the committee.
• File format: MS Word (.docx) only.
• Citations: OSCOLA for legal papers, or APA 7th edition for economics, commerce and management papers, applied consistently. Footnotes must follow the chosen style.
• Language: all submissions and presentations must be in English.
• Submission address: abstracts and full papers go to icssr.gst2026@sgtuniversity.org, and authors are advised to retain the acknowledgement receipt.

• Papers must be original and unpublished, and must not be under review elsewhere. A plagiarism check is run and any paper with a similarity index above 15 per cent is rejected summarily without review.
• Presenters get 10 to 12 minutes, followed by 5 minutes for questions and discussion.
• Presentations must be in PowerPoint (.pptx) and must not exceed 15 slides. Slides go to the organising committee at least 48 hours before the seminar.
• The venue is equipped with a projector, laptop and laser pointer, and presenters are advised not to rely on personal devices.
• Selected papers of high academic merit may be published in an ISBN-assigned book after a double-blind peer review process and the final approval of the ICSSR.
• Presenters are expected to keep to the time allotted and to academic decorum. The organising committee reserves the right to withdraw a presentation slot where the submission guidelines are not complied with.

The fee is charged per author and is identical for online and offline participation.

• Faculty and professionals: Rs 500 per author
• Research scholars (PhD): Rs 300 per author
• UG and PG students: Rs 200 per author
• Foreign delegates: USD 30 per author

At least one author of every accepted paper must register before the full paper submission deadline. Papers whose authors are not registered will not be scheduled for presentation and will not be considered for publication.

Day 1, Friday 11 September 2026

• Inaugural session and lamp lighting ceremony
• Keynote address by an eminent jurist or policy expert
• Panel I: Industry, Compliance and Financial Impact of GST Reforms on MSMEs and Start-ups
• Paper presentation sessions, Tracks I and II
• Conference dinner and networking

Day 2, Saturday 12 September 2026

• Panel II: Legal, Judicial and Governance Dimensions of GST Reforms
• Paper presentation sessions, Tracks III and IV
• Valedictory session and release of proceedings

• Email your abstract of up to 300 words, with 4 to 6 keywords and your full name, designation, institutional affiliation and contact details, to icssr.gst2026@sgtuniversity.org by 5 August 2026.
• Acceptance is notified by 10 August 2026, after which the full paper is due by 16 August 2026.
• Complete registration and payment through the official Google Form linked below. At least one author must be registered before the full paper deadline.
• All queries and submissions must go only to the official conference email, icssr.gst2026@sgtuniversity.org.