Jammu, April 11 -- Describing the forthcoming Census 2027 as a "National Digital Transformation Mission", Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Thursday said the exercise would lay the foundation for a "Viksit Bharat" and usher in a new era of evidence-based policy planning.

Speaking at the Census 2027 Summit held at Abhinav Theatre, Dulloo said India was at a crucial "data inflection point" and that the census would no longer be merely an enumeration exercise.

"Data is going to be the key driver, the new oil and fuel of any nation's economy in the AI-driven future," he said, adding that India's demographic diversity gives it a strategic advantage in becoming a globally benchmarked data-driven nation.

The summit brought together senior admini...