NSO Launches Third Private Corporate CAPEX Survey for 2026
The National Statistics Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India, is conducting the third Forward-Looking Survey on Private Corporate Sector CAPEX Investment Intentions (CAPEX 2026) during October to December 2026. The survey aims to generate comprehensive and timely information on capital expenditure undertaken and planned by large private corporate sector enterprises, providing important inputs for understanding emerging investment trends in the Indian economy.
Survey Methodology and Coverage
The survey covers selected large private corporate sector enterprises from different sectors of the economy, with the survey frame prepared using information from active enterprises registered with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) subject to prescribed eligibility and turnover criteria. Data collection occurs through a dedicated and secure web portal that enables enterprises to self-compile and submit responses online, with supporting digital resources including an instruction manual, video guide, and AI chatbot for portal navigation and self-reporting. The survey is conducted under the provisions of the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008.
Historical Survey Findings
The inaugural CAPEX 2024 survey conducted between November 2024 and January 2025 revealed that manufacturing accounted for the largest share of aggregate expenditure at 43.80%, followed by information and communication (15.60%) and transportation and storage (14.00%). The second CAPEX 2025 survey conducted during October-December 2025 showed manufacturing's share increased to 50.17% of provisional aggregate capital expenditure in 2025-26, amounting to ₹5,73,900 crore, followed by information and communication (16.38%; ₹1,87,395 crore), electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply (8.96%; ₹1,02,448 crore), and transportation and storage (5.55%; ₹63,517 crore).
Regarding robotics investment, nearly 21.16% of enterprises planned to invest more than 80% of their total CAPEX in robotics, while approximately 78.84% stated that less than 20% of their total CAPEX would be devoted to robotics investments. The actual CAPEX incurred during 2024-25 by the panel of enterprises was ₹173.5 crore per enterprise, resulting in an overall realisation ratio of 96.3%, indicating actual expenditure was broadly in line with investment intentions at the aggregate level. From data collected through CAPEX 2025, aggregated CAPEX figures based on a fixed panel of 3,819 enterprises covering 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27 show a modest growth of 1.9% over the actual CAPEX reported in 2024-25.
CAPEX 2026 Enhanced Features
The 2026 survey incorporates several features to improve quality, relevance, and usability of information, including broad coverage of past, current and future capital expenditure across different asset groups and industry sectors. The survey specifically collects information on investment in green energy and robotics, investment intentions and strategies, objectives of investment including capacity expansion/upgradation, and sources of financing of CAPEX. The web portal features bilingual questionnaire support and enhanced digital assistance tools.
Importance and Confidentiality
The quality of estimates depends significantly on coverage and timely response from selected enterprises, as individual enterprise data contributes to compilation of aggregate indicators of private corporate investment. NSO assures enterprises of complete confidentiality, stating that unit-level information will not be disseminated and adequate measures are applied to prevent publication of any confidential information. The survey results are available through published booklets on the MoSPI website.