New Delhi, 02 August (H.S.): Under India’s BRICS Presidency, the meeting of the Heads of National Statistical Offices (NSOs) of BRICS member countries will be held in Lucknow on August 3 and 4. The meeting, themed “Quality Statistics as a Catalyst for Transformation,” will focus on strengthening statistical products, improving national statistical systems, enhancing data dissemination and accessibility, and reinforcing macroeconomic and sectoral statistics.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation said that the overarching theme of India’s BRICS Presidency in 2026 is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability.” In line with this vision, India’s Statistics Track has identified high-quality statistics as a key driver of transformation, with emphasis on data quality, innovation, effective dissemination, and people-centric statistical systems.

Representatives from Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates will participate in the meeting. The discussions will cover ways to strengthen statistical products, modernise national statistical systems, improve the dissemination and accessibility of official data, and enhance macroeconomic and sectoral statistical frameworks.

BRICS countries began publishing the Joint Statistical Publication (JSP) in 2010, and since 2020 have also released the Snapshot Joint Statistical Publication. Over the years, cooperation among member nations has expanded beyond data collection to include harmonisation of statistical standards, methodological improvements, and innovation. Earlier this year, a technical meeting held on April 16–17 laid the framework for the Joint Statistical Publication and Snapshot JSP 2026.

The Lucknow meeting will also feature two half-day side events. On August 3, delegates will deliberate on “Harnessing the Potential of Administrative Data,” while the August 4 session will focus on “Artificial Intelligence Readiness in an Evolving Data Ecosystem.” These events will bring together representatives from BRICS national statistical offices along with policymakers, academicians, think tanks, civil society organisations, and technology experts to exchange knowledge and best practices.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar