India is planning a high-frequency index to track its vast informal economy, covering millions of unincorporated enterprises. The proposed MoSPI index could improve GDP estimates, guide RBI interest-rate decisions, strengthen inflation management, sharpen government policymaking and offer investors, businesses and economists an unprecedented real-time view of the country's largest employment engine.

The index, proposed by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MoSPI), will provide insights into the health of the large yet often difficult-to-measure informal…

India is planning a high-frequency index to track its vast informal economy, covering millions of unincorporated enterprises. The proposed MoSPI index could improve GDP estimates,…