Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Dr PK Mishra, on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, underlined that a robust statistical infrastructure is indispensable for evidence-based policymaking and realising the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. He was delivering the inaugural address at the Conference of State Planning, Finance and IT Secretaries, organised by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) in New Delhi.

Core Message: Measure to Manage

Dr Mishra drew a direct line between data quality and development outcomes, arguing that statistics, data, technology, planning and governance are increasingly inseparable pillars of India's development journey. A reliable statistical system, he said, must enable governments to measure progress across states and districts, assess policy impact, locate gaps and ensure that public spending delivers intended results.

He encapsulated the stakes in a pointed formulation: 'What cannot be measured cannot be managed effectively. And what cannot be managed effectively cannot be transformed sustainably.'

Modernising Economic Measurement

The senior bureaucrat called for India's statistical architecture to keep pace with an economy that is increasingly digital, formalised and interconnected. He cited the introduction of the new National Accounts Series — with 2022-23 as the base year — along with updated Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Index of Industrial Production (IIP) series as meaningful steps towards aligning methodologies with contemporary economic realities. Such updates, he suggested, are not optional housekeeping but a prerequisite for credible policymaking at scale.

Technology and Its Limits

Dr Mishra acknowledged the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, machine learning, geospatial systems, satellite imagery and advanced analytics in improving the timeliness and accuracy of official statistics. However, he issued an explicit caution: technological adoption must remain anchored in statistical quality, transparency, privacy, security and accountability.

'Speed cannot come at the cost of accuracy. Greater use of data cannot come at the cost of confidentiality,' he said, flagging the tension between data velocity and data integrity that policymakers globally are grappling with.

Centre–State Coordination and Cooperative Federalism

Describing statistics as an instrument of cooperative federalism, Dr Mishra stressed that national averages increasingly fall short as a governance tool. Granular data at the state, district and local levels is essential to identify development gaps and guide targeted interventions — a point with direct relevance as India's states diverge sharply in economic and social outcomes. He urged stronger institutional capacity within state statistical offices and tighter coordination between the Centre and states.

A Collective National Architecture

Dr Mishra called for a whole-of-government effort, bringing together MoSPI, State Statistical Offices, Finance, Planning and IT Departments, NITI Aayog, academic institutions and other stakeholders. The goal, he said, is a statistical framework that is trusted, transparent, technology-enabled, interoperable and policy-relevant — one capable of underpinning India's ambition to become a developed nation by 2047. The conference marks a step toward that alignment, with state-level officials now directly engaged in shaping the national data agenda.