What does an active GSTIN mean?

An active GSTIN means the registration is currently live on the GST system. The taxpayer is registered, the registration has not been cancelled or suspended, and the business is entitled to charge GST and issue tax invoices carrying that number.

Active status is a point-in-time fact. A registration that is active today can be suspended or cancelled later, either voluntarily by the taxpayer or by the tax authority. For that reason a screenshot taken months ago is not evidence of present status; re-check before a significant payment.

What active status does not tell you: whether the supplier has filed its returns, whether it has deposited the tax it collected from you, or whether the specific invoice in your hands is genuine. Input tax credit depends on the supplier actually reporting the supply, not merely on being registered.

Treat an active status as a necessary condition for dealing with a GST supplier, not a complete due-diligence report.