Capex survey will be a web-based survey, which will capture data from companies which comprise 80 percent of the output sectors, said Saurabh Garg, secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on September 26.

“We have a majority of sectors, which will give us a forecast for capex--an essential for assessing growth,” Garg noted at the conference on “Data user conference on the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023-24.”

Web-based survey usually entails data collection from companies on a portal, where selected firms can input their data. Index of indutrial production in certain cases is collected using web-based survey.

Earlier this month, the government announced that it will launch an annual capex survey this fiscal year.

The survey is expected to kick off in October and will try to collect information on past investments and upcoming investments for the coming two fiscals.

“We want more decision-making that is data-driven,” Garg said, highlighting the Budget announcements on the increasing number of working women hostels and creches across the country.

The decision Garg noted was based on the results of the periodic labour force survey of 2022-23, which pointed to childcare commitments and personal commitments as reasons for low labour force participation.

Garg also noted that the ministry was looking to increase the outreach under the programme.

“We are reaching out to 40-50 institutions with strong mathematics and economics backgrounds to do projects so that we can examine unexplored areas,” he said.