The current discourse surrounding development is characterized by a noticeable dearth of sufficient and high-quality data, research, and analytics pertaining to rural issues. This gap becomes evident during interactions with key opinion leaders, policymakers, and potential investors in the rural sector, where robust and reliable data and analytics are crucial for fostering meaningful dialogue. In addition to the scarcity of readily available data, there is a significant challenge in sourcing the appropriate data and ensuring its accuracy.

Today, academic and research institutions, governments, non-profit organizations, and funding agencies all require reliable and objective data to measure progress accurately. The development sector, including donors, is grappling with understanding the dynamics resulting from the rapid migration of populations from rural to urban areas, as well as the increasingly shared aspirations among individuals. The donors and media organizations are forming partnerships with research and analytics outsourcing providers to develop effective campaigns, strategies, and solutions.

The Development Intelligence Unit, a joint Initiative of Transform Rural India and Sambodhi Research, is envisaged to be a clearing-house of rural information in user-friendly format addressing needs of diverse clients- public, private and civil society, bring rural in the focus and furthering the field of rural analytics for advocacy, positioning and informing. Through high end analytics on contemporary issues, will help in shaping the discourse around rural developmental issues.