The government is implementing a comprehensive five-step process to build harmonised data infrastructure across central and state governments, as announced by MoSPI Secretary Saurabh Garg at AIMA's 53rd National Management Convention. According to reports from Business Standard, Garg emphasized that this infrastructure is essential for ensuring data can be systematically discovered, understood, connected and utilised. The initiative recognizes that data serves as the raw material for AI and requires systematic organization for optimal utilisation. As Garg noted, "Five-step process that we have started both across ministries and departments and states...the first step is to have government data which is harmonised and then we can look at other data in the private sector and others can join in." Speaking at the Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI) 13th Annual Forum in New Delhi, Garg emphasized that India's statistical system must become more agile and able to learn from feedback, with data flowing freely across ministries and states. He added that citizens and businesses should not have to submit the same information repeatedly to different arms of the government.
The harmonisation process follows a structured approach with five distinct steps designed to create a unified data ecosystem. As reported by Business Standard, the first step involves creating harmonised government data as the foundation, followed by maintaining metadata for proper data management. The third step focuses on bringing uniformity in definitions across ministries and departments, while the fourth establishes identifiers for comparing different data sets. The final step encompasses quality assessment while using data to ensure universal recognition of data quality standards. According to Garg's statements, "The second step is maintaining metadata, the next will me bringing uniformity in definitions across ministries, departments. The fourth is to have identifiers so that different data sets can be compared. And the fifth step towards a harmonised data infrastructure is having a quality assessment while using data." Speaking at PAFI, Garg emphasized the need for "data which is machine-readable; we need data which is interoperable; and data which can speak to each other."
On artificial intelligence, which Garg described as an evolving area, he said MoSPI is using AI for analytical work, but within strict limits. As reported by Business Standard, "Any data or inference that we think of has to be based on sources which are verified and validated." Garg added that clear guardrails on small domain models are needed to prevent hallucination. He noted that AI is also helping enumerators classify occupations and industries during house-to-house surveys, improving data quality. Garg cited PM Gati Shakti and One Nation, One Ration Card as examples of interoperable data improving service delivery, stating that "What really matters is how digital services are delivered at scale in a manner that is accessible to all."
The ministry has implemented significant technological improvements in data collection and processing. As reported by Business Standard, household surveys have moved from pen and paper to tablets, with data uploaded to backend platforms in real time, improving timeliness. Garg emphasized that "Old data is something which no one wants. Everyone wants yesterday's data today." Data from the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments is also giving a clearer picture of which sectors and regions are seeing expenditure growth and expanding. The ministry has begun releasing district-level analysis in recent months, which Garg said would help local decision-making, noting that without it, policymakers are left with "a one-size-fits-all picture at the state or national level."
At the sub-national level, MoSPI is working with State Directorates of Economics and Statistics (DE&S) to align data on labour, inflation and industrial growth with central protocols. The ministry has issued guidelines for Gross State Domestic Product and is working with states to produce District Domestic Product estimates, which Garg said "will be used by the states to ensure that they bring out data which is then comparable across states." Additionally, Garg said the ministry tracks about 28 international indices, reviewing their data sources and methodologies with the ministries concerned to ensure they are appropriate for India. He noted that some indices have been revised following feedback from several countries, including the World Bank's replacement of its Ease of Doing Business ranking with the B-READY Index.
