Lucknow: India will host the meeting of heads of National Statistical Offices (NSOs) of BRICS countries in Lucknow on Aug 3-4 as part of its BRICS chairship in 2026.The two-day meeting is expected to bring together senior statistical officials from Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates to strengthen cooperation in official statistics and data systems.India’s BRICS chairship this year is guided by the theme, ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability (BRICS)’.Under the BRICS Statistics Track, India has adopted the theme ‘Quality Statistics as Driver of Change’, focusing on improving data quality, innovation, dissemination and people-centric statistical systems capable of meeting the demands of a rapidly evolving digital world.According to an official statement, robust and reliable statistics play a critical role in evidence-based policymaking, monitoring development goals and fostering cooperation among member nations.Since 2010, BRICS countries have jointly published the Joint Statistical Publication (JSP), while the Snapshot BRICS JSP was introduced in 2020 to provide easier access to harmonised statistical information.The meeting follows the technical meeting of National Statistical Offices held on April 16-17, 2026, during which members discussed the framework, timelines and division of responsibilities for the 2026 editions of JSP and Snapshot publication.Officials said the heads of NSOs meeting would deliberate on enhancing statistical cooperation, promoting innovation in national statistical systems and sharing best practices among member countries.As part of the programme, two half-day side events will also be organised in Lucknow. The first, ‘Unlocking the Potential of Administrative Data’, will be held on Monday and will examine ways to leverage administrative datasets for policymaking and governance. The second, ‘AI Readiness in the Evolving Data Ecosystem’, scheduled for Tuesday, will explore the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence in the field of official statistics.The side events are expected to see participation from policymakers, academic institutions, think tanks, civil society organisations and technical experts, alongside delegates from BRICS member countries.
