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Streamlining E-Way Bill Generation: A Guide to Bulk Processing on the Official Portal

This article serves as a comprehensive guide to utilizing the bulk generation feature on the e-way bill portal, designed for businesses handling numerous consignments. It outlines the essential prerequisites, including portal registration and required documentation, before detailing two methods for preparing data using official templates. The guide further provides step-by-step instructions for uploading prepared JSON files to both generate multiple e-way bills and update vehicle details efficiently, ensuring compliance and operational ease for large-scale logistics.

📖 4 min read read🏷️ E-Way Bill

Large businesses and logistics companies often manage numerous consignments daily, requiring an efficient system to generate e-Way Bills (EWBs) or update vehicle details through a single file upload. The e-way bill portal provides a bulk generation feature that allows users to create multiple individual EWBs, consolidated EWBs, or update several EWBs simultaneously with one upload. This article outlines the step-by-step process for utilizing this bulk facility on the e-way bill portal.

Recent Updates on E-Way Bill Generation:

  • August 29, 2021: Taxpayers were exempted from e-way bill blocking for non-filing of GSTR-1 or GSTR-3B (for March to May 2021) between May 1, 2021, and August 18, 2021.
  • August 4, 2021: The blocking of e-way bills for GSTR-3B non-filing resumed from August 15, 2021.
  • June 1, 2021: The e-way bill portal clarified that GSTINs under suspension cannot generate e-way bills, but can receive or transport goods with existing e-way bills. Additionally, the transport mode 'Ship' was updated to 'Ship/Road cum Ship', enabling users to include vehicle numbers for initial road movement and bill of lading details for subsequent ship transport. This update facilitates ODC benefits and vehicle detail updates for multi-modal transport.
  • May 18, 2021: Notification 15/2021-Central Tax by the CBIC stated that e-way bill blocking for non-filing only applies to the defaulting supplier's GSTIN, not the recipient's or transporter's.

Essential Requirements for Bulk E-Way Bill Generation

Before initiating bulk generation of e-way bills or consolidated EWBs, ensure you meet these requirements:

  • You must be registered on the e-way bill portal.
  • Possess the relevant invoice, bill, or challan for the goods consignment.
  • Have the Transporter ID or vehicle number for road transport.
  • For transport by rail, air, or ship, you need the Transporter ID, transporter document number, and its date.
  • Acquire the necessary EWB JSON template, EWB bulk converter, or excel template to input the details.
  • If generating consolidated EWBs, all individual e-way bill numbers for the consignments must be available.

Preparing Data for Upload Using Templates

Templates are available for two primary functions:

  1. Bulk generation of e-way bills
  2. Bulk updating of vehicle details

Bulk Generation of E-Way Bills

You have two methods to prepare the data file for uploading to the portal for bulk EWB generation:

Method 1: Using JSON Template Directly

  1. Download the appropriate JSON template, either 'e-Way Bill JSON Format' or 'Consolidated e-Way Bill JSON Format' file.
  2. Populate the downloaded file with all required information. The JSON file is then ready for upload.

Method 2: Using Excel Template with Converter Tool (Recommended)

  1. Download the relevant excel template, such as 'e-Way Bill JSON Format.xlsx' or 'Consolidated e-Way Bill JSON Format.xlsx' file.
  2. Download the corresponding converter tool, either 'e-Way Bill converter tool.xlsm' or 'Consolidated e-Way Bill converter tool.xlsm' tool. This tool facilitates the conversion of multiple e-way bills or consolidated EWBs from an excel file into a single JSON file.
  3. Fill in the necessary details within the .xlsx excel template.
  4. Utilize the .xlsm converter tool to transform the excel file into a JSON file. The resulting JSON file is then prepared for upload.

Choosing the Best Method for Bulk E-Way Bill Generation

The second method, involving the use of a bulk converter tool to transform an excel template into a JSON template, is generally preferred over directly updating the JSON template. This is because the converter tool performs validation during the conversion process, reporting any errors for correction before the JSON file is even uploaded to the portal.

Bulk Updating Vehicle Details

To update vehicle information in bulk:

  1. Navigate to the 'How to Use' section from the home page tabs.
  2. Locate and download the 'Vehicle No Updation JSON Preparation' template under 'Bulk Generation Tools'.
  3. After downloading, fill in the required details and click the 'Validate' button within the excel file to check for errors.
  4. Once validated without errors, click 'Prepare JSON'. The JSON file is now ready for use.

Uploading the Prepared Template to the E-Way Bill Portal

For Bulk Generation of E-Way Bills

Once your updated JSON file is ready, follow these steps to generate multiple individual or consolidated e-way bills:

  1. Log in to the portal using your username, password, and captcha code.
  2. From the dashboard's left-hand side, select either 'Generate bulk' under the 'e-way bill' option or 'consolidated EWB' option, depending on your requirement.
  3. Choose the saved JSON file from your computer and click 'Upload and Generate'.

The system will process the JSON file and display a list of generated EWBs. You can then copy these e-way bill numbers and their generation dates to a document for future reference. Any errors will be shown next to the respective EWB entry, allowing you to make corrections and reprocess.

For Bulk Updating Vehicle Details

To update vehicle details in bulk using your prepared JSON file, follow these steps:

  1. On the dashboard, select 'Update Vehicle-Bulk' under the e-way bill option.
  2. Click 'Choose File' and select the JSON file you intend to upload.
  3. Click 'Generate' to finalize the update of vehicle details for the e-way bills specified in the JSON file.

Downloading Bulk Generation Tools from the EWB Portal

You can access and download various e-way bill tools, including the EWB excel file, EWB JSON template, EWB bulk converter tool, and Vehicle number updation JSON preparation tool, by following this path:

Home page → 'HOW TO USE' → Select 'Tools' → Click 'Bulk Generation Tools'.

A list of available tools will appear, from which you can select and download the desired file or format.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of bulk e-way bill generation?
Bulk e-way bill generation allows businesses and logistics operators to create multiple e-way bills or update vehicle details for several consignments simultaneously using a single file upload, significantly streamlining the process.
How can businesses streamline the e-way bill generation process for multiple consignments?
Businesses can streamline this process by utilizing the bulk generation facility on the official e-way bill portal, preparing data with templates, and uploading a single JSON file for numerous e-way bills.
What are the essential documents required before attempting bulk e-way bill generation?
Before bulk generation, users must have relevant invoices/bills/challans, transporter IDs or vehicle numbers, and in some cases, transporter document numbers and dates.
Is it possible to update vehicle details for multiple e-way bills simultaneously?
Yes, the e-way bill portal provides a bulk update facility for vehicle details, allowing users to prepare a JSON file with updated information for multiple e-way bills and upload it in one go.
Where can users find the necessary templates and tools for bulk e-way bill operations on the EWB portal?
Users can download bulk generation tools, including JSON and Excel templates and converter tools, from the EWB portal by navigating to 'Home page → 'HOW TO USE' → Select 'Tools' → Click 'Bulk Generation Tools'.