Cabinet Approves Rs 4,371.10 Crore VISTAR Statistics Scheme

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Viksit Bharat Initiative for Statistical Transformation, Analytics & Research (VISTAR) on 4 November 2026. It is a central sector scheme of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) for FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31, with an outlay of Rs 4,371.10 crore.

What VISTAR sets out to do

The scheme is pitched at the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047. It is meant to give the country a real-time, future-ready official statistical architecture: faster releases, finer geographic detail, datasets that talk to each other and data that is ready for artificial intelligence to work on. Resources can be moved between activities as policy needs shift, which is the flexibility MoSPI says a single umbrella scheme buys.

The three components

• Comprehensive Statistical Operations and Strengthening of Ecosystem
• Support for Statistical Strengthening (SSS)
• Economic Census (EC)

More surveys and new indices

Under the first component MoSPI will carry out 59 surveys during the 16th Finance Commission cycle, against 43 major surveys conducted in the previous round. Statistical processes will be digitised end to end, with machine learning embedded in processing, validation and analysis. Two new measures are planned: the Headline Index of Services Production and the Index of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises. Alternate sources such as mobile phone, scanner and e-commerce data will supplement conventional surveys and lighten the load on respondents. An internship scheme for students and research proposals from academic institutions are also part of it.

States and the 8th Economic Census

The SSS component funds States and Union Territories through a redesigned, deliverable-linked framework called SSS 2.0, so that district-level and million-plus city estimates can be produced in flagship surveys such as PLFS, HCES and ASUSE, along with State and district GDP and the State level IIP. The third component takes up the 8th Economic Census, which will map every non-farm establishment and the workers it hires down to Gram Panchayat and Ward level. It will become the baseline for a National Statistical Business Register and help measure what the unorganised sector contributes to GDP.