The ministry announced plans to compile a Knowledge Economy Satellite Account (KESA) for India, aimed at measuring and valuing the contribution of knowledge-based activities to the national econom
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) recently convened a high-level brainstorming workshop in New Delhi to advance the development of a national framework for measuring India’s knowledge economy. Held at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre, the session brought together over 70 experts from government ministries, academia, industry, and policy think tanks.
The workshop was led by the Technical Advisory Group (TAG), chaired by Dr R Balasubramanium, Member Human Resources, Capacity Building Commission. In his inaugural address, Dr Saurabh Garg, Secretary, MoSPI, underscored the importance of capturing the economic value of knowledge products and services, including indigenous and traditional knowledge systems.
The deliberations focused on building a taxonomy of knowledge items and identifying quantitative indicators and data sources to assess their contribution to GDP. Breakout sessions explored five thematic domains: digital knowledge, conventional knowledge and R&D, business process knowledge, creative and cultural knowledge, and indigenous and community knowledge.
Participants discussed inclusion criteria, valuation challenges, and the need to expand the measurement matrix to reflect the societal impact of knowledge assets. Items identified ranged from weather and disaster forecasts to traditional songs, legal judgments, dance, drama, and healing practices.
Dr Balasubramanium noted that MoSPI is initiating the compilation of a Knowledge Economy Satellite Account for India (KESA), aligned with international best practices. This refers to a proposed statistical framework designed to measure and value the contribution of knowledge-based activities to the national economy. He emphasised the need to define boundaries and groupings for knowledge items to enable systematic classification and valuation.
Based on the workshop’s outcomes, MoSPI will commission targeted studies through research organisations under TAG’s guidance to further develop the measurement framework. Stakeholders were encouraged to continue contributing insights to shape India’s knowledge economy metrics.