VISTAR: India’s shift towards a real-time, technology-driven statistical system | Explained

The Hindu · Santosh V. Perumal · 2026-11-06 05:36 UTC

India’s VISTAR transforms official statistics with real-time, AI-driven data for granular, evidence-based policymaking and development by 2047.

India’s statistical requirements have outgrown the conventional survey-based architecture, requiring a more scientific and technological architecture to better capture key performance indicators of economy, even as it should avoid the growing risks of synthetic data. Seeking to move official data collection beyond periodic surveys and administrative records, the VISTAR or Viksit Bharat Initiative for Statistical Transformation, Analytics & Research is a major overhaul of India’s official statistical system at the centre and state levels using interoperable datasets, bridging data gaps and generating timely, reliable socioeconomic indicators for evidence-based policymaking.

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