E-Paper
BRICS nations adopt joint statement on data innovation, AI as 2-day Lucknow meet concludes
The meeting, held under India’s Chairship, was organised around the theme “Quality Statistics as a Driver of Change,” aligned with the BRICS theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” More than 350 participants, including heads of national statistical offices, policymakers, academics, think-tanks, civil society representatives and technical experts, attended the event.
BRICS member countries on Tuesday adopted a joint statement at the conclusion of the two-day meeting of heads of national statistical offices (NSOs) in Lucknow, reaffirming their commitment to strengthen cooperation on data, innovation and modern statistical systems. The outcomes are set to feed into the broader BRICS sherpas and leaders’ track.
The meeting, held under India’s Chairship, was organised around the theme “Quality Statistics as a Driver of Change,” aligned with the BRICS theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” More than 350 participants, including heads of national statistical offices, policymakers, academics, think-tanks, civil society representatives and technical experts, attended the event.
Digital surveys, AI take centre stage
The second day featured a technical session on “Identifying Common Innovation Areas for Potential BRICS Collaboration,” focusing on modern survey methods and digital data collection.
India showcased its transition from paper-based surveys to digital systems through e-SIGMA (e-Survey Information Gathering and Management Application), a cloud-based, CAPI-enabled platform now used for large-scale sample surveys.
Egypt presented its use of geospatial technology in official statistics, while delegates discussed expanding the use of artificial intelligence in survey implementation and combining administrative data with survey-based information to generate faster and more detailed statistical insights.
India also presented its roadmap for implementing the System of National Accounts (SNA) 2025, highlighting the use of administrative data in official statistics. China shared its experience of adopting the new framework, Brazil demonstrated the use of alternative data sources such as e-commerce and online platform data, and Indonesia outlined its transition plan to SNA 2025 along with adoption of ISIC 5.
AI-ready public data systems
The ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MoSPI), along with the Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy, also hosted a side event on “Building AI-Ready Public Data Systems in the Evolving Data Ecosystem.”
The discussions focused on the need for interoperable, trusted and high-quality public data systems to support responsible AI adoption and evidence-based governance. Case studies from India, South Africa, Russia, Indonesia, China, the UAE and partner organisations highlighted issues such as data governance, interoperability, metadata standards, institutional collaboration and capacity building.
India, Indonesia sign cooperation pact
On the sidelines of the meeting, MoSPI and BPS-Statistics Indonesia signed a letter of intent to strengthen cooperation in knowledge exchange, technological and methodological development, human resource capacity building, and emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, metadata standardisation and open data.
The meeting concluded with the formal adoption of the BRICS Joint Statement, with member countries reaffirming their commitment to developing robust, transparent and policy-relevant official statistics through shared innovation, harmonised methodologies and wider use of digital and alternative data sources.
Officials said the outcomes of the Lucknow meeting will now be placed before the broader BRICS sherpas and leaders’ track for further endorsement.
