SDG 9: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure | SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Institutions: Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI)
The Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) organized a brainstorming workshop on 30 September 2025 in New Delhi under its Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on knowledge economy. The goal: design a taxonomy of knowledge products and identify quantitative indicators/data sources to capture knowledge services’ contribution to GDP.
Over 70 participants from central ministries, academia, industry, and think tanks engaged in breakout sessions across five themes: digital knowledge, conventional knowledge/R&D, business process knowledge, creative & cultural knowledge, and indigenous & community knowledge.
They debated which items should be included (weather forecasting, legal judgments, folk songs, traditional healing, etc.), and discussed valuation challenges. MoSPI committed to commissioning studies with research institutions to operationalize a Knowledge Economy Satellite Account framework guided by TAG.
A robust measurement framework is foundational; without data, knowledge-intensive sectors remain under-recognized in policymaking. India’s push to become a global knowledge economy (in AI, creative content, traditional knowledge) depends on strong metrics and satellite accounts.
What is a Knowledge Economy? → A knowledge economy is one where growth and competitiveness are driven less by physical inputs (like land, labour, capital) and more by the creation, sharing and application of knowledge. This includes sectors like IT, R&D, design, media, education, biotech, and traditional knowledge systems. It matters because investment in human capital, innovation, and ideas becomes the main source of productivity and long-term development.
What is a Knowledge Economy Satellite Account? → A supplementary accounting framework linked to national accounts that quantifies output, value addition, employment, and investment in knowledge-based sectors (e.g. R&D, IP, cultural content).
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How soon can India develop and scale a consistent, internationally comparable knowledge economy account, especially incorporating indigenous & community knowledge contributions?
Follow the full release here: PIB Press Release PRID 2173617