Rapid response project on Indian firm data

In March 2015, IGC organised a Workshop on Industry Data, held in Delhi. The workshop provided an opportunity for academics, policy makers and government agencies to discuss difficulties they face with using or collecting datasets on Indian firms, and define the steps for a way forward to improve the quality of the data available in these areas.

To prepare for the discussion, the researchers prepared a background paper that included a brief summary of recent academic research on firms and development with an emphasis on what kind of data is used, and how it relates to data that are available in India. As a result of the event the researchers published a working paper discussing how data on businesses is being utilised by economic researchers to understand the behaviour of firms in economic development and how the characteristics of such data facilitate cutting-edge research. The paper also discusses how data providers can make their products maximally useful for researchers.