NSO Plans to Align ASUSE Survey with Financial Year, Add Policy-Focused Questions

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on Monday, the ASUSE 2027-28 survey is proposed to run from April 2027 to March 2028, replacing the existing January-to-December calendar-year reference period.

The changes are aimed at strengthening the survey’s policy relevance and improving the availability of data for government ministries, researchers and other users.

New Questions to Capture Challenges Faced by Women Entrepreneurs

For the first time, the NSO will introduce questions designed to identify the gender-specific constraints faced by women entrepreneurs in operating and managing their establishments.

The information is expected to provide a clearer picture of the challenges faced by female-led enterprises in the unincorporated sector and support evidence-based discussions on women’s participation in economic activity.

The additional data could also help policymakers examine factors affecting the functioning of women-owned businesses and identify areas requiring greater attention.

Survey to Track Electricity Sources and Long-Term Investment

The revised survey schedule will include additional questions on the different sources of electricity used by unincorporated enterprises. This is intended to provide a more comprehensive understanding of energy-use patterns and the operating conditions of establishments across different economic activities.

Another new question will capture investment in fixed assets over a longer reference period than the one covered by the existing questionnaire.

According to MoSPI, the expanded reference period will allow data users to examine investment activity over a broader timeframe and gain further insights into business investment patterns and the outlook of establishments.

Handloom and Handicraft Units to Be Identified Separately

At the request of the Ministry of Textiles, two questions will be added to identify establishments engaged in handloom, power-loom and handicraft activities.

These sectors are an important part of India’s unincorporated economy and traditional knowledge systems. More detailed data on such establishments is expected to support evidence-based policymaking and improve the understanding of their economic activity.

The proposed questions will help identify businesses operating in these areas within the ASUSE survey framework, allowing for more focused analysis of their characteristics and requirements.

Financial-Year Alignment to Improve Data Utility

The shift from the calendar year to the financial year is another significant change planned for ASUSE 2027-28.

MoSPI said the revised schedule would bring the survey in line with the reference periods used in other enterprise surveys, including the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) and the Annual Survey of Incorporated Services Sector Enterprises (ASISSE).

The alignment is also intended to improve the usefulness of ASUSE data for National Accounts purposes.

The ministry added that initiatives introduced in earlier rounds to strengthen the survey’s quality, coverage and overall usefulness would continue in the 2027-28 edition.

Together, the proposed changes are intended to provide more detailed information on India’s unincorporated enterprises and make the survey more responsive to the data requirements of policymakers and other users.