Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr. P. K. Mishra delivered the keynote address at the Conference of State Planning, Finance and IT Secretaries organized by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) in New Delhi. He emphasized that a strong statistical system is essential for evidence-based policymaking and achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047, stating that statistics are not merely an administrative requirement but a strategic national asset.
Dr. Mishra highlighted the interconnection between statistics, data, technology, planning, and governance in India's development journey. He noted that a robust statistical system must enable governments to measure development progress across States and districts, assess policy outcomes, identify gaps, and ensure that public resources deliver intended results. He observed that "what cannot be measured cannot be managed effectively" and "what cannot be managed effectively cannot be transformed sustainably."
On statistical methodology updates, Dr. Mishra announced the introduction of the new National Accounts Series with 2022-23 as the base year, alongside updated Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Index of Industrial Production (IIP) series. He stated that these updates represent an important step towards keeping statistical methodologies aligned with changing economic realities, particularly as India's economy becomes increasingly digital, formalized, and interconnected.
Dr. Mishra emphasized the critical role of State Statistical Systems, noting that India's development story is fundamentally a story of its States where policies are implemented, economic activity takes place, and citizens experience development outcomes. He called for stronger institutional capacity and closer Centre-State coordination to improve the quality of official statistics, describing statistics as an important instrument of cooperative federalism that enables States and the Centre to compare outcomes, identify best practices, and learn from regional differences.
Regarding technology's role, Dr. Mishra stated that artificial intelligence, machine learning, geospatial systems, satellite imagery, and advanced analytics offer significant opportunities to improve the timeliness, accuracy, and usefulness of official statistics. However, he cautioned that technological advancement must remain guided by statistical quality, transparency, privacy, security, and accountability, noting that "speed cannot come at the cost of accuracy" and "greater use of data cannot come at the cost of confidentiality."
Dr. Mishra concluded by calling for a collective national effort involving MoSPI, State Statistical Offices, Finance, Planning and IT Departments, NITI Aayog, academic institutions, and other stakeholders. He stated that India needs a statistical architecture that is trusted, transparent, technology-enabled, interoperable, and policy-relevant, which would not merely measure India's transformation but also help guide and accelerate it towards Viksit Bharat @ 2047.