JUNE 07: In a pivotal move toward modernizing India’s policy-making apparatus, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), in collaboration with NITI Aayog and the World Bank, organized a two-day National Workshop on “Using Alternate Data Sources and Frontier Technologies for Policy Making” at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on June 5-6, 2025.
The workshop brought together over 450 delegates from government ministries, international organizations, academic institutions, and the private sector. Key dignitaries included Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India; Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology; and Dr. Saurabh Garg, Secretary, MoSPI.
In his address, Prof. Sood highlighted the rising importance of alternate data sources such as real-time indicators and AI-driven analytics in shaping agile, responsive policies. While acknowledging the continued relevance of traditional data, he stressed the need for a blended approach and called for a robust techno-legal framework to ensure ethical use and data privacy.
Prof. Karandikar emphasized the challenges of data interpretation over collection in today’s digital era. He advocated for an institutionalized hybrid data ecosystem giving equal value to both traditional and modern data streams. Dr. Garg underscored the need for real-time supplementation of traditional surveys using alternate data to meet the demands of timely and actionable policy-making.
Technical sessions at the workshop focused on themes like AI for official statistics, using mobile phone data for tourism, applying geo-spatial data in ocean accounting and sampling, and utilizing scanner data for CPI compilation. Experts from India and abroad shared insights on data integration, privacy issues, and technological readiness.
As the sessions concluded, MoSPI announced plans to operationalize identified use cases over the next 3–6 months. The workshop reaffirmed India’s commitment to incorporating cutting-edge technologies and diverse data sources into its national statistical framework for more effective governance.
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