The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has initiated three major surveys aimed at gathering crucial data to support its monetary policy decisions. These surveys are instrumental in assessing economic conditions, business sentiments, and inflation expectations, which ultimately guide the central bank in setting interest rates and other policy measures.

Key Points

The surveys are designed to collect real-time data from different sectors of the economy. The insights help the RBI craft informed and responsive monetary policy strategies.

Three Surveys Launched

• Inflation Expectations Survey of Households (IESH)

Captures short- and medium-term inflation expectations of urban households.
Helps the RBI understand consumer perception and pricing behavior.

• Consumer Confidence Survey (CCS)

Assesses current and future economic sentiments of consumers.
Covers aspects like employment, income, spending, and overall sentiment.

• Industrial Outlook Survey (IOS)

Gathers data from manufacturing companies on business performance, production, order books, and employment outlook.
Evaluates short-term trends and confidence in the industrial sector.

Cities Covered
The surveys are being conducted across 19 major cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, ensuring a broad demographic and geographic representation.

Data Collection & Analysis

• The fieldwork is handled by Hansa Research Group Pvt. Ltd., a professional agency appointed by the RBI.
• Confidentiality and anonymity of respondents are strictly maintained.

Policy Relevance
These surveys feed into the RBI’s bi-monthly Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) deliberations.
The data helps in forecasting inflation trends and assessing economic recovery, especially in a dynamic global context.