BS EDIT: India’s Economic Indices Are Set for a Crucial Overhaul

By Business StandardPublished On Jun 12, 2025

Why a Data Update Matters

India’s key indicators are outdated. The last GDP base year was 2011–12. With the economy growing rapidly, an update is urgent

Bigger Data Net

CPI will now cover 2,900 markets (vs 2,300), plus online prices from 12 cities—reflecting ecommerce’s rise

Digital Signals In Play

New GDP series will include GST and UPI data, offering sharper insights into economic activity

Changing Consumption Patterns

Food’s weight in CPI may drop, with perishables gaining importance. This will impact how inflation is measured

A Case for an Ecommerce Index

A separate ecommerce index could track digital consumption trends—useful for policy and private sector planning

Still Missing: Census & PPI

Sample surveys still use 2011 Census data. A Producer Price Index is overdue to improve GDP realism