What GDP does and doesn't tell us about India
GDP is the most quoted and least understood number in Indian public life. A field guide to what it measures, what it misses, and how to read it.
Dev Patel10 min read
Section · 3 articles
Blogs
Long-form explainers on the ideas and methods behind the data.
How India counts inflation, and why your grocery bill disagrees
The CPI basket was weighted from a 2011-12 consumption survey. Your household in 2026 spends nothing like that. An anatomy of the gap.
Dev Patel9 min read
Survey vs satellite: the new ways India is being measured
Night-time lights, GST invoices, FASTag pings — administrative and remote-sensed data are filling gaps the surveys leave. With new blind spots of their own.
Dev Patel8 min read