MoSPI Committee Proposes Knowledge Economy Measurement Framework
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has invited public feedback and suggestions until December 12, 2026 on the Report submitted by the Committee on Knowledge Systems, which proposes an actionable framework for measuring the contribution of knowledge and knowledge products to the Indian economy. This initiative aims to develop a systematic measurement framework in response to the growing role of knowledge in driving economic activity, productivity, and value creation, particularly relevant for India's Viksit Bharat vision that requires sustained improvements in productivity and innovation.
The committee was constituted on May 5, 2026 under the chairmanship of Shri Ratan P. Watal, former Member Secretary of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, building upon previous work including a Technical Advisory Group formed in May 2025 under Dr. R. Balasubramaniam and a Base Paper released in May 2026. The framework recognizes the increasing complexity of measuring knowledge creation as AI systems generate knowledge beyond conventional human models.
The Actionable Policy Paper defines a Knowledge Ecosystem with eight interrelated components: knowledge, capabilities and assets, enabling infrastructure, knowledge creation activities, knowledge products, knowledge-embedded products, knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship, and knowledge application. It establishes boundary conditions for identifying knowledge products based on knowledge as input, knowledge content, identifiability, codification, and economic value, though these serve as broad guiding principles rather than rigid criteria.
Given the infeasibility of comprehensively measuring the entire knowledge ecosystem simultaneously, the committee recommends developing a family of SNA 2025-consistent thematic statistics/accounts instead of a single aggregate measure. Priority areas for development include Human Capital, R&D, Creative Economy, AI systems, Data and Databases, High-Tech Products and Frontier Technologies, and Digital Economy, with prioritization based on contributions to growth, productivity, competitiveness, inclusive growth, future significance, and cost-effective measurability.
The paper proposes a federated implementation model distributing responsibilities according to institutional mandates and comparative strengths, involving three roles: system integrators providing the common measurement framework, domain institutions (sectoral ministries and departments) measuring specialized components, and key partners including State Governments, regulatory institutions, and research/academic institutions. This approach aligns with other Indian measurement initiatives including the Culture Satellite Account (initiated 2025), Space Economy contribution framework, and Digital Economy contribution study for 2022-23 conducted in 2025.
Stakeholders can provide feedback via email to rau-2@mospi.gov.in by the December 12, 2026 deadline.