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The Union Cabinet has approved a ₹4,371.10 crore programme to modernise India’s official statistical system, introducing artificial intelligence, digital data collection and expanded surveys to improve how the government measures employment, economic activity and public spending.
The decision, announced on November 4, 2026, clears the Viksit Bharat Initiative for Statistical Transformation, Analytics and Research (VISTAR) for five financial years, from 2026–27 to 2030–31.
Under the programme, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) plans to conduct 59 surveys, develop new economic indicators and carry out the eighth Economic Census.
The government also intends to incorporate information from mobile phones, retail scanners and e-commerce platforms into statistical analysis, alongside conventional household and business surveys.
The initiative forms part of a broader effort to create more detailed, timely and reliable datasets for policymaking at national, state and district levels.
AI And Digital Records To Reshape Government Surveys
A major component of VISTAR involves replacing fragmented statistical processes with more integrated digital systems.
MoSPI plans to introduce artificial intelligence and machine learning into routine activities, primarily to process, validate and analyse information collected through surveys and other sources.
For example, automated systems could help identify inconsistent responses, detect missing information and organise large datasets for further examination.
This could reduce some repetitive administrative work and allow statistical officials to examine information more efficiently.
However, AI-based analysis cannot automatically correct inaccurate source records. The reliability of published statistics will still depend on sound survey methods, appropriate checks and human oversight.
The government also plans to supplement traditional surveys with alternative information sources, including mobile-phone, retail scanner and e-commerce data.
Retail scanner data can provide information about products sold and their prices, while e-commerce records may help researchers understand changes in online business activity.
Mobile-phone information could potentially support analysis of movement or other broad patterns, depending on the datasets used.
The government has not specified which mobile-phone datasets will be accessed, whether they will contain personal information or the detailed safeguards governing their use.
The official announcement refers to privacy by design, alongside measures to improve data interoperability and establish information-sharing protocols.
These commitments will require clearer implementation arrangements as the programme develops.
59 Surveys And New Economic Indicators Planned
The Cabinet-approved scheme will finance 59 surveys during the 16th Finance Commission cycle, compared with 43 major surveys conducted during the previous cycle.
The expansion is intended to address information gaps that can affect government decisions about employment, consumption, business activity and economic development.
MoSPI also plans to introduce two statistical indicators: the Headline Index of Services Production and the Index of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises.
The first is intended to provide a clearer picture of activity in India’s services sector, while the second will improve measurement of businesses operating outside the formal corporate structure.
Such enterprises are economically important but can be difficult to measure consistently through existing administrative records.
The programme will also support more detailed estimates from established surveys, including the Periodic Labour Force Survey, Household Consumption Expenditure Survey and Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises.
States will receive funding and technical assistance to develop statistics at the district level and for cities with populations of at least ten lakh.
This could allow policymakers to examine local differences that are hidden within statewide or national averages.
The government also intends to strengthen state and district GDP estimates and improve the compilation of state-level industrial production indicators.
Eighth Economic Census To Map Non-Farm Businesses
Another major component is the eighth Economic Census, which will be undertaken in collaboration with states and Union Territories.
Unlike the population census, an economic census focuses on establishments engaged in economic activities.
The exercise will collect information about non-farm businesses, their activities and the workers they employ, with details compiled down to gram panchayat and municipal ward levels.
It is intended to provide a more comprehensive picture of the unorganised economy, which includes many small businesses and establishments not covered by conventional corporate reporting.
The findings will also form the foundation of a National Statistical Business Register.
This register is intended to help officials identify enterprises for future surveys and improve the consistency of economic information.
The exercise is particularly significant because the seventh Economic Census did not produce fully validated national results. The latest widely available completed census dates back to 2013–14.
Consequently, some information about smaller establishments and changes in local business activity may be outdated.
A new census could help governments identify emerging business concentrations, understand employment patterns and estimate the unorganised sector’s contribution to GDP.
However, the Cabinet announcement does not provide a detailed fieldwork timetable or specify when the eighth census results will be released.
The scheme also includes a redesigned Support for Statistical Strengthening framework, under which states and Union Territories will receive assistance linked to defined outcomes.
Beyond collecting more information, the programme aims to improve how datasets from different government agencies can be compared and used together.
Its success will depend on whether digitisation leads to more accurate and accessible information rather than simply producing larger volumes of data.
What This Means For You:
Better statistical information could eventually improve government decisions on jobs, public services and local development. As alternative data sources are introduced, citizens should also expect clear explanations of how information is collected, protected and used.
