All India Workshop of Trainers (AIWOT) for National Household Income Survey (NHIS) and Annual Survey of Incorporated Services Sector Enterprises (ASISSE) conducted by NSO (FOD) on 28th and 29th January 2026 at Chennai.

India, Jan. 29 -- The Government of India has issued a release:

The National Statistical Office (NSO) Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation is set to launch two major national surveys-the National Household Income Survey (NHIS) and the Annual Survey of Incorporated Services Sector Enterprises (ASISSE)-from April 2026 to strengthen the country's statistical system. These surveys, supported by robust scientific design, expert advisory groups, and extensive field trials, aim to address long-standing data gaps, particularly in household Income and the Services Sector. In this context, a two-day All-India Workshop of Trainers (AIWOT) for the NHIS and ASISSE was held at Le Royal Meridien, Chennai during 28th-29th January 2026. Around 300 participants from 6 Zonal, 53 Regional and 116 Sub-Regional offices of Field Operations Division (FOD) including the officials from Coordination & Quality Control Division (CQCD), Household Survey Division (HSD) and Enterprise Survey Division (EnSD) attended the workshop.

The workshop was inaugurated by Smt. Geeta Singh Rathore, Director General, National Sample Survey (NSS). In her inaugural address, she highlighted that NHIS and ASISSE are the two new surveys to be conducted over a period of one year beginning from April 2026 and will mark a significant milestone in strengthening statistical system and addressing long-standing data gaps in India's economic planning. She mentioned that NHIS will generate comprehensive information on people's living conditions and income distribution enabling inter-household and inter-regional comparisons and providing insights into sources and patterns of income generation. She further noted that ASISSE is designed to comprehensively cover the incorporated services sector using Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) datasets and will generate State- and industry-level estimates on key economic indicators such as Gross Value Added (GVA), fixed capital, capital formation, employment, and emoluments. Emphasizing the importance of data quality, she urged trainers to ensure uniform understanding of concepts and definitions and to effectively translate the learning from training to field for successful implementation of the surveys.

Senior officers from CQCD, FOD, EnSD, HSD of NSO highlighted the significance of these surveys and the critical role of AIWOT in ensuring data quality. Emphasis was laid on effective field implementation, multi-tier training, active engagement and supervision to achieve the desired data quality standards. Given the sensitivity of the data gathered and coverage of large enterprises, field officials were encouraged to build respondent trust, adapt field approaches, and leverage innovative outreach, including media and social platforms. The trainers were encouraged to make optimum use of the workshop to deliver reliable and high-quality statistics for informed policymaking.



The NHIS aims to support analysis of income patterns, economic activity and to inform policy formulation for universal and targeted interventions across socio-economic groups. The survey findings will also facilitate assessment of household well-being and access to essential goods and services. The ASISSE seeks to develop a comprehensive database on the corporate segment of the service sector in India and follows an enterprise-based approach using the GSTN framework.

The workshop witnessed active participation of officials from all States and Union Territories, who will further conduct zonal and regional-level trainings for field enumerators and supervisors.

Both these surveys will be conducted in digital mode for which CAPI training were also imparted by the master trainers during AIWOT. The surveys will cover the whole of Indian Union except the villages in Andaman and Nicobar Islands which remain difficult to access throughout the year.

The AIWOT concluded with a reaffirmation of commitment to professionalism and quality, aimed at ensuring the successful conduct of NHIS and ASISSE, thereby strengthening India's statistical system.

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.