Govt proposes questions on women entrepreneurs, electricity use in ASUSE 2027-28 as survey moves to financial year

New Delhi: The government has proposed adding questions on challenges faced by women entrepreneurs, electricity sources and fixed-asset investments to the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) 2027-28. The survey will also include provisions to identify handloom, powerloom and handicraft establishments, the statistics ministry said on Monday.

The survey will shift from the calendar year to the financial year, with the next round proposed to run from April 2027 to March 2028.

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The changes aim to address emerging data needs and improve the availability of policy-relevant data on India's unincorporated economy. "The change is intended to align the reference period of the survey with the financial year, as is done in other enterprise surveys like Annual Survey of Industries (ASI), Annual Survey of Incorporated Services Sector Enterprises (ASISSE), and enhance the utility of ASUSE data for National Accounts purposes," the ministry said in a statement.

For the first time, the survey will capture gender-specific constraints faced by female entrepreneurs in operating and managing their establishments. The data is expected to inform policy discussions on women's participation in economic activity.

Questions on electricity sources will provide a more comprehensive picture of energy-use patterns among unincorporated enterprises.

A new question will also capture fixed-asset investments over a longer reference period than the existing survey schedule, offering broader insights into investment trends. Questions to identify handloom, powerloom and handicraft establishments will also be included at the textiles ministry's request.