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New GDP Series changes the size and structure of the Indian economy, with India's latest national accounts revision altering estimates of the economy's size, sectoral composition and expenditure patterns while improving statistical measurement of economic activity, according to the Finance Ministry's February 2026, Monthly Economic Review.
The revised series, with 2022-23 as the new base year, introduces methodological and data improvements that more accurately capture structural changes such as formalisation, digitalisation and emerging service-sector activities. It says "the new series resets the macroeconomic measurement framework, levels, growth rates, sectoral composition, and expenditure shares--against which fiscal, monetary, and structural policy will henceforth be assessed." The revision also slightly alters the estimated size of the economy. The report notes that the update "left the size of the economy (nominal GDP) about 3 per cent below the previous estimate as of the end of March 2026." Despite the lower nominal level, the revised data confirm India's strong post-pandemic expansion. The review said the new GDP series shows "a smaller but steadfast economy, especially post-pandemic, with three consecutive years of growth above 7 per cent." The rebasing exercise replaces the earlier 2011-12 base year and aligns India's national accounts more closely with international standards. Explaining the rationale for choosing the new base year, the report states that 2022-23 was selected as "a structurally stable, post-pandemic reference period with comprehensive data coverage." The updated series also incorporates new estimation techniques and richer datasets. It introduces double deflation methods for sectors like manufacturing and agriculture, integrates administrative databases such as GST and PFMS, and uses survey-based evidence for estimating the unincorporated sector. These methodological changes have led to noticeable shifts in the structure of the economy. On the supply side, the share of agriculture and allied activities rises from 16.1 per cent to 17.4 per cent, while the industry shares increase marginally to 25.4 per cent due to improved capture of manufacturing and mining activity. In contrast, the services sector share moderates from 50 per cent to 48 per cent, largely reflecting reclassification and improved allocation of value added across multi-activity enterprises. The revision also changes the composition of expenditure in GDP. The share of private consumption declines from 61.1 per cent to 56.7 per cent, while the share of investment rises from 30.4 per cent to 31.9 per cent, indicating stronger measurement of capital formation. The report emphasises that the changes are largely statistical rather than reflective of abrupt shifts in real economic activity. Instead, they represent improvements in measurement and data coverage. "The new series enhances the quality and granularity of economic tracking by better capturing the informal sector, emerging industries, and high-frequency administrative data," the review states, adding that the revision strengthens credibility and comparability of India's national accounts. A back-series under the new methodology is expected to be released by December 2026, which will allow consistent historical comparison of India's growth trajectory under the updated framework. The revised GDP framework will now serve as the benchmark for evaluating India's macroeconomic performance and policy targets going forward. (ANI)
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