The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), in collaboration with NITI Aayog and the World Bank as knowledge partner, successfully inaugurated the National Workshop on Using Alternate Data Sources and Frontier Technologies for Policy Making at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi today. The two-day workshop will be conducted during 5-6 June, 2025.

The inaugural session was graced by Shri Suman K. Bery, Vice Chairperson, NITI Aayog and Chairman, EAC to the PM as the chief guest; Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor (CEA), Government of India; Dr. Saurabh Garg, Secretary, MoSPI; and Shri P. R. Meshram, Director General (Data Governance), MoSPI. The event was attended by over 450 participants from central ministries, state governments, international organisations including the World Bank, academic and research institutions, and private sector entities.

In his keynote address, Shri. Suman K. Bery, Vice Chairperson, NITI Aayog and Chairman, EAC to the PM emphasized the way forward on integration of conventional data with alternate data sources. Shri Bery focused on utilising data generated through traditional modes of data collection and rigorous statistical analysis forming the basis for evidence-based policy making. He highlighted the importance of ensuring quality of administrative data. The insights from traditional as well as alternate data sources needs to be strengthened with emphasis on data processing and assimilation at the same time, he added.

Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran, CEA to Government of India emphasized that data generated by the statistical systems and the alternate data complement each other, rather than substituting each other. Dr Nageswaran opined that the latest trend in technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of things (IoT), has to go hand in hand with skilling of manpower, ensuring authenticity, reliability of the data quality with advanced design of algorithms holds the key in this endeavor. He further mentioned that data generated by the statistical systems has been the bed rock of policy making in India and still remains indispensable.

Dr. Saurabh Garg, Secretary MoSPI, in his address, highlighted that MoSPI has been brainstorming from last couple of years as to how alternate data sources can be integrated in the existing national statistical system and this workshop is the culmination of the efforts made in past. With the objective of enhancing harmonization of data which have practical utility, Dr Garg enlisted five key building blocks namely, Meta Data structures, International and National classifications, Unique Identifiers, Self-Quality Assessment tools and Reconciliation of diverse data to achieve such endeavor. He called for putting in place an enabling environment for use of alternate data sources, along with conventional data sources and exploring the frontier technologies for better public service delivery and robust policy making.

In his welcome address, Sh. P.R. Mesharam, Director General (Data Governance), MoSPI reiterated that NSO India, with its time-tested statistical products, has facilitated the evidence-based policy making over a long period of time. He added that the need of hour is to use alternate data sources and frontier technologies to strengthen data eco-system of the country and to provide data for evidence based decision making in real time. He further added that this is in line with developing enhanced statistical capabilities supporting our vision of becoming a developed nation ‘Viksit Bharat’.

On the opening day of the workshop, MoSPI also released annual publication ‘EnviStats India, 2025: Environment Statistics’. The publication is a key resource for policy makers, researchers and other stakeholders, offering a comprehensive overview of the country’s environmental landscape.

The inaugural session set the stage for the plenary and four parallel technical sessions which will be conducted for two days during 5-6 June, 2025, focused on Alternate Data Sources and Frontier Technologies. In the plenary session distinguished speakers Mr. Auguste Tano Kouame’, Country Director, World Bank; Dr. Arvind Kumar, Head (NSTMIS); Sh. Dalip Singh, ADG, MoSPI and Mr. Richard Campbell, Deputy Director, UK Office of National Statistics deliberated on the specific case studies on Geospatial data acquisition and sharing, Development of Statistical Business Register and Use of Data Science for Statistical Modernization, etc.

Activities in pipeline:

The four technical sessions on the subjects, Al and Data Science; Mobile Phone Data for tourism statistics, Geo-spatial Data for sampling and ocean accounting; and, Scanner data for CPI compilation, will feature presentations and panel discussion with the domain experts from NITIAayog, MoSPI, other Ministries/Departments, State Governments and various national/international organizations, etc. and are expected to foster a deeper understanding of the systems required to be put in place to institutionalize use of alternate data sources in policy making.

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Samrat/Allen

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