NITI Aayog lays out roadmap for enhancing data quality to prevent leakages, improve efficiency

Niti Aayog on Tuesday emphasised the urgent need for robust data quality to fortify digital governance, cultivate public trust, and ensure efficient service delivery. The government think-tank released the third edition of its quarterly insights series Future Front, titled 'India's Data Imperative: The Pivot Towards Quality'. The report critically examines the pervasive challenges posed by poor data quality and introduces practical, easy-to-use tools: a Data-Quality Scorecard to measure and track data quality attributes, and a Data-Quality Maturity Framework for self-assessment and roadmap development. "India's digital future will be shaped not just by how many platforms we build, but by how much trust we build into them. And that begins with data that's ready to serve," the report said. The report was released by Niti Aayog CEO B V R Subrahmanyam, Secretary of MoSPI Saurabh Garg, and Aayog's Distinguished Fellow Debjani Ghosh. It further noted that while India's digital foundation are in place, the challenge now is ensuring that what flows though them is accurate, complete, and trusted. "Data quality is no longer a back-end concern; it is central to public trust, effective service delivery, and the success of India's own AI ecosystem," it said. States can lead the way by embedding data quality cells, linking quality to service outcomes, and recognising excellence. Capacity building, leadership development, and hands-on support will be essential to sustain momentum, it added.