ASUSE revamp: women entrepreneur questions, April-March cycle from 2027-28
Why in the news
On 26 October 2026, the National Statistics Office (NSO) announced a redesign of the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE), including a switch to the financial-year cycle and new questions on women-led businesses.
Key facts
- Women entrepreneurs: for the first time, ASUSE will ask about the difficulties women face while running and managing their establishments.
- Financial-year cycle: the survey will shift from January-December to April-March; the ASUSE 2027-28 round will cover April 2027 to March 2028.
- Transition quarter: January-March 2027 will be surveyed with the current ASUSE 2026 questionnaire so that quarterly data has no gap.
- Electricity: new questions on the sources of power used by enterprises.
- Fixed assets: investment in fixed assets will be captured over a longer reference period.
- Textiles: two questions, requested by the Ministry of Textiles, will identify handloom, power-loom and handicraft units.
- The draft ASUSE 2027-28 questionnaire has been posted on the ministry’s website.
| Feature | Earlier | From 2027-28 |
|---|---|---|
| Survey cycle | Calendar year (Jan-Dec) | Financial year (Apr-Mar) |
| Women entrepreneurs’ constraints | Not covered | Covered |
| Handloom/power-loom/handicraft identification | Not covered | Two new questions |
About ASUSE
ASUSE is run by the NSO under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). Running since 2021-22, it gathers data on the features and economic activity of unincorporated, non-farm establishments. MoSPI said the new cycle brings ASUSE in line with the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) and the Annual Survey of Incorporated Services Sector Enterprises (ASISSE).
Exam angle
- ASUSE: unincorporated, non-agricultural enterprises; conducted since 2021-22; by NSO under MoSPI.
- First ASUSE round on the April-March cycle: 2027-28.
- Related surveys: ASI (industries) and ASISSE (incorporated services enterprises).