Govt To Revamp GDP, Inflation, IIP Calculations With New Data Series From Feb 2026

The Indian government is set to overhaul its methodology for measuring key economic indicators like GDP, inflation, and industrial production from February 2026, incorporating the informal economy and e-commerce data. Chief Economic Advisor Anant Nageshwaran addressed the frequent criticism of the current data, stating, 'It is only when the GDP growth numbers surprise on the upside, we hear all these concerns being raised.' The new framework will adopt the 'double deflation' method for a more precise assessment of real-term value. This major policy shift, which has been in development for over two years, follows concerns raised by global bodies like the IMF. The government will also release back-series data for the past three financial years to allow for better comparison once the new system is implemented with the advance estimates in early 2026.