India wants to fix its industrial data—here's what's changing
India's stats ministry is planning to roll out a seasonally adjusted Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
The goal? To clean up the numbers so they actually reflect real trends, not just random spikes from shifting festivals/holidays or differences in working days.
This move could make it way easier to spot what's really happening across manufacturing, mining, and electricity.
Why does this matter?
Seasonal quirks mess with almost half of manufacturing items—think food, drinks, clothes.
By adjusting for shifting festivals such as Diwali or for which holidays to include, using global-standard methods, India hopes to catch business cycles early and make its data stack up internationally.
The timing is big too: December 2025 saw IIP jump 7.8%, the fastest in more than two years—and multilateral institutions have already recommended the move.
Have thoughts? Speak up!
If you're an industry watcher or just curious about how India tracks its economy, now's your chance: feedback on the new IIP method is open until February 12 at iipcso@nic.in.
Your input could help shape how India reads its own economic pulse.