P.K. Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, on Monday called for transforming India's fragmented administrative data systems into a strategic national asset, arguing that better integration of government datasets can significantly improve governance, policymaking, and service delivery — while safeguarding privacy and security. Mishra made the remarks while addressing the 20th Statistics Day event in New Delhi.

The Core Argument

Mishra noted that India's rapid digital transformation has generated vast amounts of administrative data through government programmes, regulatory institutions, and public service delivery mechanisms. However, he pointed out that much of this information remains siloed within individual ministries and departments, preventing its effective use at scale.

'These datasets contain valuable insights on economic activity, social development, infrastructure creation, financial inclusion, health, education and welfare delivery. Despite their richness and scale, much of this data remains fragmented across ministries, departments and organisations, limiting its full potential for governance and policymaking,' he said.

From Byproduct to Strategic Resource

Mishra was emphatic that administrative data should no longer be treated as a mere byproduct of routine departmental processes. 'Instead such information must evolve into a strategic national resource that can help bridge critical data gaps, strengthen policy design and improve the targeting of government schemes,' he said.

He added that better use of administrative datasets could enhance programme implementation and enable more efficient delivery of public services — a direct pitch for cross-ministerial data sharing that India's governance architecture has historically resisted.

Privacy and Security Guardrails

Even as he advocated for greater data integration, Mishra cautioned that efforts to promote data sharing and interoperability must not compromise citizens' trust. He underscored the importance of maintaining privacy, security, and confidentiality while expanding data integration across government agencies.

According to him, principles such as privacy by design and adherence to existing legal and policy frameworks should guide all initiatives aimed at improving data interoperability — a nod to India's evolving data protection landscape.

Link to Artificial Intelligence

Mishra also connected the push for trusted and interoperable data systems with India's growing ambitions in artificial intelligence. He said reliable datasets would serve as the foundation for the responsible and effective adoption of AI in governance and public administration — signalling that data integration is not merely a statistical exercise but a prerequisite for the country's AI-readiness.

What This Signals

The remarks from the Prime Minister's office at a high-profile statistics event carry policy weight. This comes amid India's broader push to leverage its digital public infrastructure — including Aadhaar, DigiLocker, and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) — as building blocks for smarter governance. The call for a national data asset framework is likely to inform upcoming policy discussions on data governance architecture.