August 15, 2025

New Delhi buzzes with exciting news! India is all set to shine on the world stage by setting new global standards in data, announced Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran on Thursday. Why is this big news? Because data quality around the globe has been shaky. Even powerful countries like the US and UK have their woes. Recently, US President Donald Trump fired the head of labor statistics for wrong job numbers! Meanwhile, the UK’s statistical body is crying out for big changes. At a lively meeting with top statistical advisers from all ministries and departments, organized by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Nageswaran fired up the crowd by saying, "We are now going to be able to set the benchmark for developed countries to follow." He stressed how vital it is to have data that is quick, reliable, and easy to use. "It goes without saying that data and statistics are fundamental to an efficient or informed decision-making process, whether in a corporate setup or government institution," he added. Adding to the excitement, former Capacity Building Commission chairman Adil Zainulbhai shared, "We have an opportunity to upgrade enough for our data systems to become gold standard for the world." He reminded everyone about the power of technology and how ministries should harness it to improve their data game. One sparkling idea from the statistics ministry is launching a Service Production Index. It will work like the famous Index of Industrial Production (IIP) but focus on tracking India’s service sector activities — a giant leap toward stronger, smarter, and more robust data. So, the message is clear: India is cooking up a data revolution that will dazzle the world, help our government and businesses make smarter decisions, and show the globe how it’s done!

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Tags: India data standards, Cea v anantha nageswaran, Data quality, Statistics reform, Service production index, Mospi,