NITI Aayog, UNDP Host National Workshop on India’s MPI Journey and Methodology

A one-day National Workshop on ‘The National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI): Strengthening Outreach and National Capacity’ was organised on 9 September 2025 in New Delhi by NITI Aayog, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), as part of the NITI–State workshop series under the State Support Mission. The workshop marked an important milestone in India’s journey of measuring, monitoring, and addressing multidimensional poverty through data-driven governance and targeted interventions.

Broad Participation from States, Ministries, and Experts

The workshop brought together a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including:

• Senior officials from 30 States and Union Territories

• Representatives of key Ministries of the Government of India

• UN agencies such as UNDP and UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (UNRCO)

• Leading think tanks and academic institutions: Institute of Economic Growth, IIT Roorkee, NCAER, CEEW, Institute of Human Development, and the Nudge Institute

This diverse participation ensured a multi-stakeholder dialogue that combined policy experience, global expertise, and state-level innovation.

Inaugural Session: Setting the Context

The inaugural session was chaired by Sh. Suman K. Bery, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, and featured addresses from prominent policymakers and international experts:

• Prof. S. Mahendra Dev, Chairman, EAC-PM

• Dr. V. K. Paul, Member, NITI Aayog

• Sh. Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator in India

• Dr. Saurabh Garg, Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI)

• Dr. Sabina Alkire, Director, Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI)

• Sh. Rajib Kumar Sen, Programme Director, NITI Aayog

Speakers highlighted that the MPI goes beyond income measures, capturing deprivations in areas such as health, education, and standard of living. They emphasized that this evidence-based index can support precise poverty reduction strategies, improve governance, and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Panel Discussions: State Innovations and Data-Driven Governance

A key panel session explored how States are integrating data into their social protection and poverty alleviation programmes. The dialogue focused on:

• Targeting and efficiency: Using MPI indicators to better identify households in need.

• Reducing survey periodicity: Ensuring more up-to-date poverty data for policy decisions.

• Complementing datasets: Strengthening programme design by combining MPI with other sources of socio-economic data.

States also shared innovative initiatives aligned with multidimensional poverty reduction:

• Tamil Nadu: Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme, ensuring nutrition for school-going children.

• Uttar Pradesh: Sambhav Abhiyan, a state-wide poverty alleviation initiative.

• Andhra Pradesh: Zero Poverty – P4 Project, focusing on eradicating poverty through multi-sectoral action.

• Odisha: Social Protection Delivery Platform, integrating schemes for better outreach and last-mile delivery.

These examples demonstrated how data-backed interventions can help States achieve targeted poverty reduction outcomes.

Technical Session: Understanding MPI Methodology

A dedicated session was held to strengthen technical understanding of the MPI framework. It covered:

• National MPI methodology: Explanation of dimensions, indicators, and weights.

• Leave No One Behind (LNOB) analysis: Insights into disparities across regions, social groups, and demographics.

• Hands-on exercise: Participants engaged in a practical session using a sample dataset in Excel, calculating MPI scores to better grasp the nuances behind the methodology.

This practical exposure helped State representatives understand how complex poverty data can be transformed into actionable insights for policy and programme design.

Strengthening India’s MPI Journey

The workshop reaffirmed that India’s MPI journey is a collective effort, requiring strong partnerships between the Centre, States, UN agencies, and civil society. By integrating global expertise with local innovations, India is building a robust framework to monitor multidimensional poverty and design interventions that directly address multiple deprivations.

The event concluded with a call for greater convergence, capacity building, and data innovation to ensure that poverty alleviation policies truly reach those who need them the most.