Press Information Bureau

The National Statistics Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI), is pleased to announce the conduct of the Brainstorming Session on Annual Survey of Services Sector Enterprises (ASSSE), convened today at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi. This session provided a platform for collaborative discussion with stakeholders across government, industries and academia, in facilitating the refinement of survey methodology and fine-tuning the survey instruments of the forthcoming full-fledged ASSSE, building upon the experience gained through the Pilot Study.

Around 100 participants from diverse sectors such as the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), NITI Aayog, RBI, World Bank, Experts of Technical Advisory Group (TAG),  academic and research institutions, and industry associations and trade bodies participated actively in the session and contributed significantly to the vibrant discussions.

The Brainstorming Session was chaired by Dr. Saurabh Garg, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, and was graced by the presence of esteemed dignitaries, including Dr. Rakesh Mohan, member, EAC-PM, Dr. Ram Singh, Director, Delhi School of Economics, Dr. Umakant Dash, Vice-Chancellor, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Dr. B. N. Goldar, Chairman, TAG, Dr. Amir Ullah Khan, economist and professor, ISPP , Dr. Tauqueer Ahmed, professor, IASRI, Ms. Geeta Singh Rathore, Director General, National Sample Survey (NSS), Shri N. K. Santoshi, Director General (Central Statistics) along with other officials and dignitaries from key ministries, research institutions, and industry associations.

Dr. Saurabh Garg, Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to introducing new surveys and enhancing the frequency of results from certain existing surveys, such as the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) and the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) as per policy need. Highlighting the significant role of the services sector in key economic indicators such as value addition, foreign direct investment, exports, and employment and the lack of granular data on the sector, Dr. Garg explained the rationale behind launching the Annual Survey of Services Sector Enterprises (ASSSE). He emphasized that meaningful collaboration with experts from diverse domains would be instrumental in enriching the survey’s design and methodology. He also urged industry bodies and trade associations to extend their full cooperation by providing accurate and timely data that would be crucial in ensuring the survey’s success and the credibility of its findings.

Dr. Rakesh Mohan, Member EAC-PM mentioned about various sub-sectors of services industry that need special attention in the survey given their growing importance in the economy. Dr. Ram, Singh, Director, Delhi School of Economics in his address, congratulated NSS for successfully completing 75 years to the service of the nation. He also commended MoSPI for leveraging GSTN data to embark on this new survey, thus covering the entire spectrum of services sector together with ASUSE.  Drawing on global best practices, Thomas Danielewitz, Senior Economist at the World Bank, underscored the need to establish a comprehensive Business Register (BR) that would serve as a robust frame for surveys like the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) and the Annual Survey of Services Sector Enterprises (ASSSE).

At the beginning of the technical session, Ms. Geeta Singh Rathore, Director General (NSS), MoSPI re-emphasized the importance of the service sector in Indian economy and the significance of brainstorming session in shaping the survey methodology in collaboration with the stakeholders.

A comprehensive overview of the ASSSE including its objectives, sectoral coverage, proposed sampling frame, major findings from the recently conducted Pilot Study and utility of ASSSE data in preparing Index of Service Production were presented in the technical session. The session also included an overview of international best practices in similar survey exercises conducted globally.

Following the technical session, an open-floor discussion followed where representatives from various stakeholder ministries, international organizations and industry associations shared their views highlighting their data needs and their expectations from the survey.

Key takeaways from the Brainstorming Session

• Endorsement of GSTN database as the sampling frame for ASSSE
• Refinement of the survey schedule catering to the need of the major stakeholders
• Aligning the survey with the requirement of the stakeholders
• Involvement of the industry associations in enhancing survey response rate

The session served as an effective platform for deliberation, ideation, and consensus-building. The insights and recommendations gathered during the discussions will play a critical role in refining the approach and implementation strategy for the full-scale rollout of ASSSE.

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