Early IIP release to undermine data quality further: Experts

IN ORDER TO cut the time lag in publishing the index of industrial production (IIP) data, the ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MoSPI) has now advanced the release date of the monthly IIP print.

- PRIYANSH VERMA

Experts say the quickness in data release was much-needed, but warn that this may in turn affect data quality unless remedial measures are taken.

According to the ministry's advance release calendar for 2025-26, the IIP figure for any month (say April) would be published on the 28th day of the next month (May), as against the current practice of releasing the data on the 12th of the month after (June). This would reduce the time-lag of the IIP data to about 30 days from 42 days at present.

However, the data quality is likely to take a hit, and subsequent revisions may be of a higher degree, say experts.

Pronab Sen, former chief statistician of India, said the IIP is an estimate based on a fixed number of firms, which submit their production data to the government, within a set timeline.