Hyderabad: The National Statistics Office (NSO), part of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), teamed up with the Indian School of Business (ISB) for a conference focused on data usage. This event took place on Tuesday.
The main goal of the conference was to enhance the dialogue between those who produce data and those who use it. They discussed two recent surveys: the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) 2023–24 and the Forward-Looking Survey on Private Sector Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) Investment Intentions.
Over 200 participants attended, including researchers, academics, economists, industry association members, policymakers, international representatives, enterprise representatives, and media institutions. Experts and members of the National Statistical Commission (NSC) also joined.
Dr. Saurabh Garg, Secretary of MoSPI, led the conference. He emphasized the Ministry’s vision of “Data for Development” and highlighted their role as a major primary data collector in India and possibly worldwide, with surveys involving between 100,000 to 500,000 units.
Dr. Garg noted several innovations, such as the monthly release of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for both rural and urban regions and the forward-looking CAPEX Investment Intentions Survey, which offers insights into future private sector investments.
Dr. V Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor for the Government of India, delivered the keynote address. He praised MoSPI for improving data detail and stated that comprehensive data insights are crucial for supporting policy reform.
He stressed the importance of macroeconomic indicators in the new ASUSE and CAPEX investment reports.
Prof. Madan M Pillutla, Dean of ISB, thanked MoSPI for their partnership and highlighted the value of these data user conferences. He talked about the significance of consistent and reliable data collection, research, and capacity building.
Geeta Singh Rathore, Director General of NSS, MoSPI, discussed the role of the data user conference in connecting data users with data. She briefly explained the importance and use of ASUSE and CAPEX data.
