New Delhi, April 19, 2025:
In a significant move to improve the timeliness of key economic indicators, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) announced that the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) data will now be released on the 28th of every month, starting this April. The change reduces the data publication lag by nearly two weeks and is part of a broader initiative to enhance the frequency and relevance of macroeconomic data.
The first release under the revised schedule will be the industrial output data for March 2025, set to be published on April 28 at 4:00 PM IST.
This decision comes in response to growing calls from analysts, industry leaders, and policymakers for more up-to-date economic data. The move will help ensure faster decision-making, particularly at a time when the Indian economy is navigating global uncertainties and domestic demand fluctuations.
“Improved data timeliness will enhance policy responses and improve private sector planning. It also brings India closer to international best practices,” a senior government official noted.
The change gains further importance in light of February 2025’s disappointing industrial output figures, which showed a year-on-year growth of just 2.9%, marking the slowest pace in six months. The figure fell below analysts’ expectations of 4% growth and highlighted a slowdown in the manufacturing and mining sectors. In comparison, the revised growth figure for January stood at 5.2%.
The update to the IIP release calendar aligns with MoSPI’s broader reform plan to improve data transparency and responsiveness. Other efforts include the introduction of monthly labour force surveys and private capital expenditure data to better capture India’s economic momentum.
