The World Bank’s 2025 report shows India with one of the world’s lowest consumption inequality levels, but income and wealth data reveal a much wider gap. This article explores why consumption surveys like HCES understate inequality, how India’s poverty has declined, and why income and wealth metrics expose deep divides. It highlights the need for policies on wages, education, and social protection to reduce long-term inequality.

If Artificial Intelligence (AI) is electricity of today, big data is the new oil, then China is the top producer of this petroleum. ...