Indian Government Needs More Data Access, Says Key Statistician

A senior Indian statistician is urging greater data-sharing with the federal government, including access to mobile payments and official records, to improve the accuracy and reliability of key economic indicators.

Many institutions — including banks, payments companies, transport providers, and even government departments such as tax and railways — are reluctant to share data with the federal government due to privacy and legal concerns, said Rajeeva Laxman Karandikar, chairman of the National Statistical Commission, the top advisory body to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, in an interview Wednesday.