The dissemination of macroeconomic and financial data through Handbook of Statistics on the Indian Economy is increasingly becoming user friendly. The first Handbook publication was brought out by the Bank in 1998, the CD-ROM version started in 1999 and subsequently, since December 2000, it is released on the Bank’s website (www.rbi.org.in). The print version is presented with the aim of providing latest time periods data, longer historical data series has been provided in the CD-ROM. In the Platinum Jubilee Year of the Reserve Bank, Handbook was simultaneously released in electronic form on the “Database on Indian Economy (DBIE): Reserve Bank’s Data Warehouse (http://dbie.rbi.org.in)” on September 15, 2009. Since then this publication is being updated nearly on real time basis and made available to internet users. We are encouraged by the positive response from researchers, analysts, market participants and other users as reflected by substantial increase in usage of the web version. The
enthusiasm and expectations regarding more frequent data updating has been reflected in the feedback received from some of the users among the teaching community, who are utilizing DBIE platform for discussing trends in various economic indicators of Indian economy.

2. The present volume of Handbook of Statistics on the Indian Economy for the year 2009-10, 12th in the series, contains 242 statistical tables in print version and 264 statistical tables in CD-ROM version. It covers time series statistics on a wide range of economic and financial indicators pertaining to national income aggregates, output, prices, money, banking, financial markets, public finances, foreign trade, balance of payments and select socio-economic indicators, which are released at various frequencies. This publication in print/CD-ROM form is now being brought out for the first time from the Bank’s Data Warehouse by Operational Analysis Division (OAD), Department of Statistics and Information Management (DSIM).

3. The work has been carried out under the guidance of Dr. A. M. Pedgaonkar, Principal Adviser, Dr. Goutam Chatterjee, Adviser, DSIM and Shri B. M. Misra, Adviser, Department of Economic Analysis and Policy (DEAP) with the direct supervision of Dr. Anil Kumar Sharma, Director, OAD, DSIM. Dr. Y. K. Gupta, Assistant Adviser; Shri Amar Nath Yadav, Shri Souryajyoti Sardar and Shri Nanu Ram Meena, Research Officers provided able assistance. Support provided by Dr. S. C. Dhal and Shri P.S.S. Vidyasagar, Assistant Advisers; Dr. Lal Bahadur Singh and Shri Dhirendra Gajbhaiye, Research Officers from DEAP in bringing out the publication is acknowledged.

4. Preparation of this Handbook is a team effort involving large number of officers and staff from various Departments of the Bank, viz., DEAP, Department of External Investment and Operations, DSIM, Financial Markets Department, Foreign Exchange Department, Internal Debt Management Department and Monetary Policy Department, who provided and validated the required data for real time handbook on DBIE platform throughout the year. The sincere effort of the concerned departments in ensuring real time updation and timely validation of pdf reports for this publication deserves appreciation. Those who have contributed to this effort include Ashok Sahoo, D. Bose, Himanshu Joshi, Jeevan Khundrakpam, Kumudini Hajra, Mohua Roy, Nishita Raje, O. P. Mall, R. Kausaliya, Rajan Goyal, Rajib Das, Rajiv Ranjan, Ravi Shankar, Rekha Misra, Sanjay Bose, Sitikanth Pattnaik, Somnath Chatterjee, Directors; A. Karunagaran, Ashutosh Raravikar, Atri Mukherjee, Deepak Mathur, Indranil Das, Haridwar Yadav, Pallavi Chavan, Prayag Singh Rawat, Smita Sharma, Sangita Das, Assistant Advisers; Shri Shivaji Radhakrishnan, Assistant General Manager; A.K. Jha, Abhilasha, Amarendra Acharya, Alok Ghosh, Dirghau K. Raut, G. V. Nadhanael, Harendra Behra, Monika Kathuria, N. C. Pradhan, Rakesh Kumar Arya, S. Suraj, Sonna Thangzason, Shiv Shankar, Subrat Seet, Research Officers; C. Marathe, Manager; Meena Ravichandran, Sheetal Vaidya, V. R. Palekar, Vasanti Pandit, Yamini Khasnis, Assistant Managers.

5. We welcome comments and suggestions on the Handbook which may please be forwarded at the following address: The Director, Operational Analysis Division, Department of Statistics and Information Management, Reserve Bank of India, C-9, 3rd Floor, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Bandra (East), Mumbai 400051 or by e-mail. Feedback can also be forwarded to us through a feedback button available on DBIE site.

Deepak Mohanty
Executive Director
September 15, 2010