New Delhi, Dec. 23 -- Following the release of two discussion papers by India's ministry of statistics outlining proposed methodological changes for the upcoming base-year revision of national accounts, there has been a renewed focus on our methodology for the GDP revision. The new base year will be 2022-23 and the revised series is scheduled for release in early 2026. They lay out, in great detail, what has changed in data availability and show improvements in methodology.

It is precisely for these reasons that they deserve attention. They do not settle our perennial and politicized debates about India's 'true' growth rates. Instead, they represent a significant step in how the statistical system explains itself to users, while also giv...