Key takeaways
- India has rich free market research data, mostly from government sources: MoSPI surveys (HCES, ASUSE, ASI, PLFS), GSTN, RBI, TRAI, NPCI, Udyam and data.gov.in.
- The most useful for businesses are household spending (HCES), small businesses (ASUSE), GST by state, population projections and digital adoption.
- State differences are large: urban spending per person ranges from ₹13,927 a month in Sikkim to ₹4,927 in Chhattisgarh.
- Advanton Statistics turns many of these sources into free charts and tables by state, and the India Market Report Builder combines them into a market report for any business.
The best free market research data for India comes from official sources: MoSPI’s household and business surveys, GST data from GSTN, the Reserve Bank of India, TRAI, NPCI and the government’s open data portal. This guide explains what each source measures, how often it is updated and how to use it for market research, with examples by state.
Updated November 2026.
Market research data for India at a glance
Table of Contents
| Topic | Main official source | Updated | On Advanton |
|---|---|---|---|
| What households spend | MoSPI, Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) | Periodic (latest 2023-24) | India consumer spending |
| Small businesses and what they earn | MoSPI, Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) | Annual | Indian small businesses |
| Factories and manufacturing | MoSPI, Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) | Annual | India’s factories |
| Business activity by state (tax) | GSTN monthly revenue reports | Monthly | India GST by state |
| Population | Population projections; Census | Projections; census decennial | India population |
| Jobs and employment | MoSPI, Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) | Monthly, quarterly and annual | Coming soon |
| Prices and inflation | MoSPI, Consumer Price Index | Monthly | World inflation statistics |
| Economy by state | MoSPI and RBI state accounts (GSDP, income per person) | Annual | State income statistics |
| Health, households and internet use | National Family Health Survey (NFHS) | Every few years | Women’s internet use by state |
| Digital payments | NPCI UPI statistics | Monthly | Planned |
| Telecom and internet subscribers | TRAI performance indicators | Quarterly | Not yet |
| Registered small businesses | Udyam (MSME) registration data | Ongoing | Not yet |
| Companies | Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) data | Ongoing | Not yet |
| Everything else | Open Government Data Platform (data.gov.in) | Varies | — |
Consumer spending: HCES
The Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) 2023-24 is the best source for what Indian households spend, by category and by state. It reports monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE), separately for urban and rural areas: ₹6,996 a month in urban India and ₹4,122 in rural India in 2023-24.
How businesses use it:
- Compare states: urban spending per person ranges from ₹13,927 in Sikkim and ₹13,425 in Chandigarh to ₹5,080 in Bihar and ₹4,927 in Chhattisgarh, a gap of about 2.8 times.
- Size category markets: spending on food, clothing, education, transport and services, by state. See household spending by category and Advanton’s market size estimates.
- Plan pricing: higher-spending states and cities support premium products; price-sensitive markets need value offers.
Limits: household surveys capture less spending than national accounts, and HCES does not publish every category for every state, so state-by-category figures on Advanton are clearly labelled estimates.
Small businesses: ASUSE
The Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) covers India’s millions of small, unregistered-as-company businesses: shops, workshops, food stalls, service providers and home businesses. It reports how many there are, where, in which activities, and what they earn (gross value added) and employ.
Example: India has about 37 lakh small food-service businesses (restaurants, dhabas, caterers, cafés and stalls), adding an average of about ₹4.77 lakh a year in value each in urban areas and ₹2.39 lakh in rural areas (ASUSE 2023-24).
How businesses use it: understand competition in an activity, benchmark what a typical small business earns, and compare states. See small businesses by state.
Factories: ASI
The Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) covers registered factories: output, value added, employment and wages by industry and state. In 2024-25, India’s factories engaged about 2.1 crore people (factory employment).
How businesses use it: size manufacturing markets, find industrial clusters for B2B sales, and benchmark wages and productivity.
GST data by state
GSTN’s monthly revenue reports show GST collected in each state, a timely indicator of business activity. Domestic GST from all states came to ₹5,95,978 crore in April to July 2026, with Maharashtra alone contributing ₹1,34,532 crore (22.6%), followed by Karnataka, Gujarat, Haryana and Tamil Nadu (GST collections by state). India had about 1.68 crore GST registrations in July 2026, with Uttar Pradesh (22.1 lakh) and Maharashtra (20.7 lakh) leading (GST registrations by state).
How businesses use it: compare formal business activity between states, track growth month by month, and spot fast-growing markets. Note that GST is collected where tax is paid, so states with large company headquarters can look bigger than their local consumer markets.
Population
India’s latest full census was in 2011; the next census is scheduled with a reference date of 1 March 2027. Until then, official population projections give the best current figures by state, urban and rural. See India population statistics.
How businesses use it: multiply spending per person by population to size markets, and use the urban share to plan where to locate.
Jobs, incomes and prices
- Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS): employment, unemployment and earnings by state, including monthly urban estimates.
- State domestic product and income per person: published by MoSPI and compiled by the RBI’s Handbook of Statistics on Indian States.
- Consumer Price Index: monthly inflation, overall and by category, for urban and rural India.
Use these to judge purchasing power, wage costs and how prices are moving in your category.
Digital adoption
- NFHS-6 (2023-24): includes the share of women aged 15 to 49 who have used the internet, by state.
- NPCI: monthly UPI transactions by volume and value, the clearest view of digital payment adoption.
- TRAI: quarterly telecom and internet subscriber figures by service area.
How businesses use it: decide how much to invest in online sales, digital payments and app-based ordering in each state.
Companies and registered MSMEs
- Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA): company and LLP registrations and filings; useful for B2B prospect lists and competitor checks.
- Udyam registrations: registered micro, small and medium enterprises by state and activity.
Which source answers which business question?
| Your question | Best source |
|---|---|
| How much do people in my state spend on my category? | HCES (via Advanton consumer spending statistics) |
| How big is the market for my type of business? | Advanton market size estimates (from HCES and ASUSE) |
| How many competitors are there, and what do they earn? | ASUSE (small businesses), ASI (factories), Udyam and MCA registrations |
| Which states have the most formal business activity? | GSTN collections and registrations by state |
| How many people live in my target area, and how urban is it? | Population projections; Census when available |
| Are customers ready to buy online or pay digitally? | NFHS internet use, NPCI UPI data, TRAI subscriber data |
| What will staff cost? | PLFS earnings, ASUSE and ASI wage data |
| Are prices rising in my category? | Consumer Price Index by category |
Sector-specific official sources
| Sector | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Agriculture and food | Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare statistics, including Agricultural Statistics at a Glance |
| Tourism and hospitality | Ministry of Tourism, India Tourism Statistics |
| Exports and imports | Ministry of Commerce trade data (Export Import Data Bank) and DGCI&S |
| Banking and credit | RBI Database on Indian Economy (DBIE) |
| Real estate and housing | RBI house price indices and state housing data |
| Energy | Ministry of Power and the Central Electricity Authority |
| Automobiles | Vahan vehicle registration dashboard (Ministry of Road Transport and Highways) |
| Education | UDISE+ (schools) and AISHE (higher education) |
| Health | NFHS and Health Management Information System data |
Industry associations publish useful figures too, but check how they collect them; official sources are easier to cite in business plans and loan applications.
How to research a state market: a worked approach
Example: choosing between Kerala and Bihar for a premium bakery.
| Step | Kerala | Bihar |
|---|---|---|
| Urban spending per person a month (HCES 2023-24) | ₹7,783 | ₹5,080 |
| Compared with urban India (₹6,996) | about 11% higher | about 27% lower |
| Implication for a premium product | Stronger spending power | More price-sensitive market |
Next, compare population and urbanisation, the number of existing bakeries and food businesses, and local rents. A premium bakery would likely start in urban Kerala; a value-focused bakery could succeed in Bihar’s large, growing cities, where volume matters more than price.
For a full report on any business and state, use the free India Market Report Builder, or ask a quick question with Ask Advanton, such as "How much do people in Kerala spend a month?"
Tips for using Indian government data
- Check the year and definitions. Surveys change methods; compare like with like.
- Separate urban and rural. Spending and businesses differ sharply between them.
- Watch sample sizes for small states and narrow categories; treat small-sample figures as indicative.
- Combine sources: spending (demand), business counts (competition) and population (scale) together give a far better picture than any one alone.
- Cite your sources in business plans and loan applications (see how to cite Advanton).
Common mistakes
- Using 2011 census figures as if they were current.
- Treating national averages as true for every state and city.
- Comparing GST collections as if they measured local consumer demand.
- Ignoring the urban–rural split.
Questions about market research data for India
Where can I find free market research data for India?
MoSPI surveys (HCES, ASUSE, ASI, PLFS), GSTN reports, the RBI, TRAI, NPCI, Udyam and data.gov.in. Advanton Statistics presents many of these as free charts by state.
What is MPCE?
Monthly per capita consumption expenditure: average spending per person a month, from the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey. In 2023-24 it was ₹6,996 in urban India and ₹4,122 in rural India.
Which Indian state has the highest consumer spending?
Sikkim has the highest urban spending per person (₹13,927 a month in 2023-24), followed by Chandigarh.
How many small businesses are there in India?
ASUSE counts tens of millions of unincorporated businesses; food service alone accounts for about 37 lakh. See Advanton’s small business statistics for each activity and state.
Is GST data a good measure of a state’s market?
It is a good measure of formal business activity, but it reflects where tax is paid, so headquarters states can look larger than their local consumer markets.
When is India’s next census?
The next census is scheduled with a reference date of 1 March 2027; until its results are published, use official population projections.
Can I use Indian government data commercially?
Most data published on data.gov.in is released under the Government Open Data Licence – India, which allows reuse with attribution; check the licence on each dataset.
How do I size a market in India?
Multiply spending per person on your category by the population of your area, narrow to your segment, and check it bottom-up. See how to calculate market size.
How we researched this
We reviewed the official sources listed and used Advanton Statistics built from HCES 2023-24, ASUSE 2023-24, ASI 2024-25, GSTN’s July 2026 report and population projections for the examples. See our methodology.
Last reviewed November 12, 2026. Startup costs are estimates; check local prices, licensing and tax rules before you commit money.