Strengthen data quality to build digital trust, says NITI Aayog report

According to NITI Aayog's report, while India has laid strong digital foundations, the focus must now shift towards the reliability of data flowing through these platforms

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Government think tank NITI Aayog on Tuesday released a report highlighting the need to strengthen data quality frameworks across government systems, warning that poor data quality could "undermine digital governance, public trust, and service delivery".

 

In its latest quarterly report Future Front, the think tank said, "India's digital future will be shaped not just by how many platforms we build, but by how much trust we build into them. And that begins with data that's ready to serve."

 

Titled 'India's Data Imperative: The Pivot Towards Quality', the report examines the challenges posed by unreliable data and proposes two new tools: a Data-Quality Scorecard to evaluate and track data quality attributes, and a Data-Quality Maturity Framework for self-assessment and future planning. 

 

NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer (CEO) BVR Subrahmanyam released the report along with Saurabh Garg, Secretary at the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), and Debjani Ghosh, Distinguished Fellow at the Aayog.

 

According to the report, while India has laid strong digital foundations, the focus must now shift towards the reliability of data flowing through these platforms. “Data quality is no longer a back-end concern; it is central to public trust, effective service delivery, and the success of India's own AI ecosystem,” it said.

 

The report suggests that states should take the lead by institutionalising data quality cells, aligning quality metrics with service outcomes, and rewarding good practices. It also calls for sustained investments in capacity building, leadership development, and on-ground support to embed data quality as a core governance priority.  (With inputs from PTI.)