Stats ministry ties data to policy with new growth feedback loop

The government has begun quietly rolling out a mechanism that links official statistics more directly to policymaking. Over the past year, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has been alerting line ministries whenever growth in their sectors falls short of expectations, people familiar with the development told Moneycontrol.

For instance, if value added in hotels and accommodation dips below trend, MoSPI flags it to the tourism ministry for corrective measures. If agriculture growth underperforms, inputs are shared with the agriculture ministry. “We are doing this as part of the ministry’s data-driven decision-making approach,” one person aware of the matter said.

The system builds on MoSPI’s experience tracking high-frequency indicators such as retail inflation. Media reports indicate that similar feedback channels are being extended to states as well. The goal is to ensure national accounts are not just a rear-view mirror but actively feed into real-time policy responses.

The initiative comes as MoSPI prepares for major statistical updates. A new GDP series is scheduled for release in Q4FY26, alongside a revised consumer inflation series. The base year will shift to 2022–23 from the outdated 2011–12. A new Index of Industrial Production (IIP) series is also expected in the first half of 2026.