The two-day meeting of Heads of National Statistical Offices (NSO) of BRICS Member Countries was inaugurated under the Chairship of India on 03 August 2026, at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. The event brought together more than 350 participants including representatives from National Statistical Offices of BRICS, policy makers, academia, think-tanks, civil society organisation and technical experts.

2. Guided under the overarching theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability (BRICS), the BRICS Statistics track, India has adopted the theme "Quality Statistics as Driver of Change”, reflecting an unwavering commitment to data quality, innovation, effective dissemination, and people-centric statistical systems that are responsive to rapid technological advancements, the growing demand for high-frequency and granular data, and the increasing reliance on official statistics to support evidence-based, sustainable, and inclusive development.

3. The inaugural session of the Meeting of Heads of National Statistical Offices was initiated with an introduction by DG (Data Governance), MoSPI followed by an address by Shri Alok Kumar, Principal Secretary, Planning and Programme Implementation, Uttar Pradesh.

4. Dr. Saurabh Garg, Secretary, MoSPI and Chair of BRICS 2026 Statistics Track welcomed the delegates to the two-day event and highlighted key priorities of the BRICS Statistics Track 2026 centered on "Quality Statistics as a Driver of Change” including modernizing national statistical systems, utilizing administrative data and digital public infrastructure, and enhancing data governance and privacy standards. He also emphasised that, through technical exchanges and shared experiences, BRICS member nations aim to bridge data gaps, drive evidence-based decision-making, and build resilient statistical systems for the future.

5. During the inaugural session, Heads of NSOs and representatives of BRICS member countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also shared brief introductions and their expectations from the meeting. The participating countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation under the BRICS Statistics Track and underscored the importance of international collaboration in advancing official statistics. They emphasised that sustained cooperation through knowledge sharing, exchange of best practices, harmonisation of statistical methodologies, and promotion of statistical innovation would enable BRICS Statistical community to strengthen the evidence base for informed policymaking, foster resilient economies, and accelerate progress towards sustainable development.

6.  A draft BRICS Joint Statistical Publication (JSP), 2026 and Snapshot BRICS JSP 2026 were released on August 3, 2026 during the meeting.  Any additional inputs or comments from BRICS member countries shall be incorporated subject to consensus of BRICS member countries.

7. The BRICS Main Technical Session-I, titled "From Digital Platforms to Execution-Level Experience: National Practices and Strategic Approaches for Data Dissemination," featured presentations by different member countries, namely India, Brazil, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa and UAE. The presentations showcased national experiences, innovative approaches, and strategic initiatives aimed at strengthening data dissemination systems, enhancing accessibility, and promoting the effective use of official statistics in the digital era.

8. The Technical Session-II on "Transformational Reforms in Statistical System" featured presentations by India, Ethiopia, Russia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), highlighting national reforms, institutional innovations, and strategies to modernise statistical systems in response to the rapidly evolving data ecosystem.

9. Besides the Technical sessions, a side-event on the theme, ‘Unlocking the potential of Administrative Data’ was also held on August 03, 2026 in collaboration with knowledge partner CivicDataLab, which was attended by representatives from BRICS member countries, civil society organizations, academia and officers from Central and State Governments.  The session highlighted the growing role of administrative data as a strategic national resource for producing more timely, cost-effective, and granular official statistics, while emphasising the need for harmonised metadata, interoperable systems, and stronger institutional collaboration. The discussions concluded with a call for stronger collaboration among governments, National Statistical Offices, academia, and technology partners to build trusted data ecosystems and strengthen evidence-based policymaking.