INDEX OF SERVICES PRODUCTION (ISP): INDIA’S NEW MEASURE OF SERVICES SECTOR

Why in the News?

● Statistical Milestone: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the trial and inaugural Index of Services Production (ISP), introducing India’s first high-frequency index to measure services sector performance.

● Strong Growth: In April 2026, 14 out of 19 service sub-sectors recorded double-digit growth, with accommodation & food services, retail trade, real estate, and administrative services emerging as top performers.

INDEX OF SERVICES PRODUCTION (ISP)

●  What is ISP?: The Index of Services Production (ISP) is a monthly indicator that measures the performance and growth of India’s services sector, similar to how the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) measures industrial output.

●  Coverage: The inaugural ISP covers 19 service sub-sectors, representing nearly 60% of India’s services economy, with plans to expand coverage in future releases.

●  Base Year: The index uses 2024–25 as the base year and is scheduled to be released monthly on the 29th by MoSPI.

●  Data Sources: ISP is compiled using GST data, administrative records, and the Annual Survey of Incorporated Services Sector Enterprises (ASISSE) to ensure timely and reliable estimates.

●  Significance: The index provides policymakers, businesses, and investors with high-frequency insights into the services sector, enabling better assessment of economic activity and policy formulation.

IMPORTANCE OF THE SERVICES SECTOR IN INDIA

●  Economic Contribution: The services sector contributes over 50% of India’s Gross Value Added (GVA) and remains the largest contributor to the country’s economic growth.

●  Employment Generation: It provides employment across diverse sectors including IT, financial services, tourism, healthcare, education, transport, retail, and real estate.

●  Growth Driver: The sector has emerged as the principal engine of India’s economy through digitalisation, urbanisation, rising incomes, and expanding domestic demand.

●  Global Competitiveness: India is a global leader in IT and business process management (BPM) services and is among the world’s largest exporters of commercial services.

●  Policy Relevance: A dedicated services index improves GDP estimation, short-term economic monitoring, policy planning, and investment analysis, complementing existing industrial indicators.

INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION (IIP)●  About IIP: The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is a monthly composite indicator that measures changes in the volume of production in the mining, manufacturing, and electricity sectors.●  Released By: It is compiled and published by the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).●  Base Year: The current base year is 2022–23 (revised from 2011–12) to better reflect the evolving industrial structure of the economy.●  Uses: IIP is widely used for economic policy formulation, GDP estimation, industrial trend analysis, monetary policy decisions, and business planning.●  UPSC Relevance: Important for Prelims and GS Paper III (Indian Economy) covering national income accounting, economic indicators, industrial growth, statistical indices, and macroeconomic policy.