NITI Aayog released the third edition of Future Front, titled “India’s Data Imperative: The Pivot Towards Quality,” emphasizing the urgent need to enhance data quality in India’s digital governance systems. The report underscores that high-quality data is critical for effective policy-making, public trust, and efficient service delivery, addressing challenges that hinder evidence-based decision-making in governance and public services.

To tackle these issues, NITI Aayog introduced two tools: the Data-Quality Scorecard, a framework to evaluate and monitor data quality attributes, and the Data-Quality Maturity Framework, a self-assessment model to guide organizations in improving data management practices. These tools aim to provide structured approaches for government bodies to strengthen their data ecosystems.

At the release event, NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam highlighted data quality as a cornerstone of public trust and governance in India’s digital transformation. Dr. Saurabh Garg, Secretary of MoSPI, and Debjani Ghosh, Distinguished Fellow at NITI Aayog, stressed the importance of institutional accountability and fostering a culture of data stewardship across government departments.

The report’s launch, attended by senior officials, policy experts, and NITI Aayog staff, reflects India’s commitment to building a data-resilient state. By promoting a system-wide focus on data quality, NITI Aayog aims to position India as a digitally empowered knowledge economy, with the report serving as a key reference for optimizing data ecosystems across ministries and public institutions.