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 while longer historical data series are made available 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 2010-11, 13th 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 by the Data Management and Dissemination Division (DMDD), Department of Statistics and Information Management (DSIM).

3. The work has been carried out by Shri Senthil Kumar, Director, Shri Ashish Jaiswal, Assistant Adviser, Shri Amar Nath Yadav and Miss Anjana Saha, Research Officers under the guidance of Shri A.B. Chakraborty, Officer-in-Charge and Shri V. Bahuguna, Adviser, DSIM.

4. The support and active co-operation provided by nodal officers of Department of Economic Analysis and Policy Research, Department of External Investment and Operations, Financial Markets Department, Foreign Exchange Department, Internal Debt Management Department and Monetary Policy Department deserve appreciation.

5. We welcome comments and suggestions on the Handbook which may please be forwarded at the following address: The Director, Data Management and Dissemination 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, 2011