India taps AI, ML to modernize national surveys, cut data delays, says minister

Mint

5 days ago

New Delhi: India has begun integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into national surveys to improve data accuracy, timeliness, and field responsiveness, Rao Inderjit Singh, minister of state (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation and Planning (MoSPI), said Wednesday.
In a written response to the Lok Sabha, Singh said AI and ML are now being used in enterprise-level surveys such as the Capital Expenditure (Capex) survey and the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE), helping officials resolve field-level queries in real time.
The initiative is part of a broader effort to make India's statistical architecture more agile and aligned with evolving economic and social conditions.
As the economy grows more complex, Singh said, modernizing traditional data systems is critical to capturing emerging trends and enabling timely policy decisions. The adoption of digital tools—including automation and AI—not only improves speed and accuracy but also shortens the time lag in publishing critical statistics.
"The primary data collection in all surveys is being done in a digital platform using Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) or web-based application with an in-built validation mechanism to ensure consistency at the stage of data collection," Singh said.
"This facilitates real-time submission and validation of survey data and has resulted in a drastic reduction in the time lag in releasing survey reports," he added.
Singh also noted that the ministry has rolled out short-duration, modular surveys in sectors such as telecom and education, aimed at meeting the growing demand for high-frequency, sector-specific socio-economic indicators.
MoSPI plays a central role in guiding India's data-driven policy initiatives through a suite of national surveys. Among them are the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), which tracks employment trends; the Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES), which informs welfare and subsidy policies by detailing household spending patterns; and the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI), which monitors industrial output and structure. The ASUSE, meanwhile, provides a window into India's informal economy.
In a separate response, Singh said the government is also working to expand the reach and granularity of these surveys by involving states and union territories more deeply in the process. Beginning January 2025, the sampling design of most ongoing surveys has been revised to generate district-level estimates, with each district now treated as a basic stratum, he said.
The move aligns with the Centre's broader agenda on data reform. In the Union Budget 2024-25, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted efforts to strengthen data governance and modernize data systems under India's next-generation policy framework.
The government also plans to streamline data collection, processing, and management by leveraging sectoral databases developed through the Digital India Mission.