THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, APRIL 30, 2026

In a major step towards building a robust, interoperable and future-ready data ecosystem, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) concluded its one-and-a-half-day National Deliberative Summit on "Harmonizing Administrative Data for Governance" in Bhubaneswar on Friday, bringing together policymakers, researchers, and technology experts from across the country.

The summit, held on April 29 and 30, witnessed participation from nearly 300 stakeholders representing over 31 States and Union Territories, Central Ministries, academic institutions, international organisations, and private sector entities. The deliberations focused on developing a unified framework for harmonising administrative data, enabling seamless interoperability and strengthening evidence-based policymaking.

The summit was inaugurated by Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo in the presence of S. Radha Chauhan, Chairperson of the Capacity Building Commission, MoSPI Secretary Dr. Saurabh Garg, and Odisha Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Garg underscored the Prime Minister's vision of promoting openness in data governance. He called for dismantling data silos and fostering standardised, interoperable systems across sectors to improve governance and socio-economic outcomes. He also highlighted the recognition of data as an economic asset under the System of National Accounts 2025.

In his inaugural address, Singh Deo stressed the transformative role of data in achieving the twin aspirations of Viksit Bharat @2047 and Odisha Vision 2036.

He emphasised that data-driven policymaking would be critical, particularly in sectors such as agriculture and energy, while cautioning that openness must be balanced with confidentiality and responsible use.

Radha Chauhan highlighted the growing importance of making data AI-ready, asserting that realising the full potential of Artificial Intelligence would require strengthening both technological capabilities and organisational adoption.

Odisha Development Commissioner Deoranjan Kumar Singh underlined the importance of timely and actionable data, noting that limited accessibility at the grassroots level often hampers effective decision-making.

During the inaugural session, MoSPI showcased a thematic video titled "Data Dividend" and released its latest publication, Women and Men in India 2025: Selected Indicators and Data, providing an extensive overview of India's gender landscape across key socio-economic indicators.

The first day featured intensive discussions and presentations by States on their innovative approaches to administrative data harmonisation. Kerala presented its integrated multi-department digital ecosystem, Maharashtra highlighted its unified State Business Register, Assam showcased its Data Policy 2026, Bihar demonstrated its AI-powered Data Lab Portal, while Delhi shared its data unlock model based on NMDS 2.0-compliant machine-readable formats.

Experts deliberated on strategies to address data silos, improve interoperability, enhance data quality, and promote API-based data sharing. A high-level panel discussion emphasised the need for strong governance frameworks, scalable platforms, institutional capacity building, and continuous quality assurance.

The summit also explored the potential of data reuse for governance, featuring case studies such as Tamil Nadu's data linkage initiatives, alongside discussions on the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and emerging technology solutions.

On the second day, sessions focused on strengthening metadata standards, data modelling, knowledge graphs, data cataloguing, and AI-enabled access to microdata. Experts agreed that harmonising administrative data is a long-term, iterative process requiring sustained political will, institutional ownership, and coordinated implementation.

The concluding session was graced by Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg, who outlined the state's proactive measures to strengthen its statistical ecosystem. These include the recruitment of over 600 statistical personnel, implementation of Data Policy 2.0 aligned with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, formulation of a data dissemination policy, and the launch of a dynamic statistical web portal.

She reaffirmed Odisha's commitment to enhancing data quality, accessibility, and harmonisation, while emphasising that a phased, standards-driven and interoperable approach — supported by federated architectures, user-centric platforms, and emerging technologies such as AI — would be crucial in unlocking the full value of data for governance and citizen-centric service delivery.