Bhopal, 22 May 2025: The Madhya Pradesh Rajya NITI Aayog (MPRNA) and Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES), and Pahle India Foundation (PIF), a leading think tank committed to evidence-based policy research and sustainable development, today signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on estimating the Gross District Domestic Product (GDDP) of the state. This statistically robust measure to estimate district-level GDP will be critical in developing each District’s ‘Vision Document’ premised on relevant data.
The collaboration will involve in-depth district-level economic assessments to identify key sectors, potential bottlenecks, and opportunities for value addition in Madhya Pradesh. It may be recalled that during the Global Investors Summit held in Bhopal (February 2025), Honourable Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shri Mohan Yadav had announced plans to double the state’s economy within the next five years.
The focus on GDDP is crucial for achieving holistic economic growth. Madhya Pradesh can unlock its full economic potential and create employment opportunities for citizens by analyzing and augmenting the economic output of each district premised on a statistically validated evidence base. The state’s collaboration with PIF emphasizes the need for collation of accurate and granular data at the district level.
While GDP estimates at the national and state levels are currently available, precise measurement of economic output at the district level still faces significant challenges. The MoU will enable PIF to lend its expertise to the state government in formulating and implementing strategies tailored to the specific economic landscape of each district.
Shri Sanjay Kumar Shukla, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Govt of Madhya Pradesh, emphasized the need to define districts as the nucleus of economic planning as the strengths of the districts can be harnessed only with primary, bottom-up estimates. Shri Rishi Garg, IAS, Commissioner, DES, iterated that bottom-up estimation of district GDP is critical to realizing the Prime Minister’s vision of making districts the fulcrum of India’s economic growth.
PIF Chairman, Dr Rajiv Kumar underlined that collaboration between the DES and institutions like PIF will strengthen public trust in data and enhance the credibility of decentralized planning efforts. Shri Ravi Pokharna, Executive Director, PIF said “This partnership is a step toward democratizing data and making economic decision-making more responsive at the grassroots level. We are proud to support Madhya Pradesh in building stronger, data-driven districts.”
The collaboration between the Madhya Pradesh Government and PIF marks a significant step towards fostering district-level economic planning, and promoting inclusive and sustainable development across the state. Leveraging the accuracy of GDDP to develop comprehensive District Vision Documents will empower districts to chart their own course of development best suited to local conditions.
If you would like to know more about the initiative, please visit https://pahleindia.org/
