The Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has announced significant changes to the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) for the 2027-28 cycle. The most structural change involves shifting the survey period from the calendar year (January-December) to the financial year (April-March), aligning ASUSE with other enterprise surveys like the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) and Annual Survey of Incorporated Services Sector Enterprises (ASISSE). ASUSE 2027-28 will be conducted from April 2027 to March 2028.
To ensure continuity in quarterly estimates, the existing ASUSE 2026 schedule will be used for the January-March 2027 quarter before transitioning to the new financial year cycle. The survey will continue to generate district-level estimates for participating states and employ Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI)-based systems for data collection.
Several new policy-focused questions are being introduced to address emerging data needs. For the first time, gender-specific constraints faced by female entrepreneurs will be captured to better understand challenges in operating and managing establishments. Additional questions will track different sources of electricity used by establishments to provide a comprehensive picture of energy-use patterns.
A new question will capture investment in fixed assets over a longer reference period than currently covered, providing broader perspective on investment trajectories and business outlook. At the request of the Ministry of Textiles, two questions will be added to identify handloom, power-loom and handicraft establishments, addressing specific information requirements for these traditional sectors.
The survey maintains its ICT block covering establishment presence in e-commerce marketplaces and use of digital payment instruments including UPI (BHIM), mobile wallets, and POS devices. Findings will continue to be disseminated through the Quarterly Bulletin of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (QBUSE).
The detailed establishment schedule is available on MoSPI's website for stakeholder feedback, with comments and suggestions accepted via email at nssocpd.coord@mospi.gov.in and tc.dpd@mospi.gov.in until November 15, 2026. The unincorporated non-agricultural sector constitutes an important segment of the Indian economy, contributing significantly to employment and gross value added while providing livelihoods to a large number of people.