The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the National Industrial Classification (NIC) 2025 on November 18, 2025, during the ‘Culmination Ceremony’ of the 75th anniversary of the National Sample Survey (NSS) and World Statistics Day 2025 in Udaipur. The NIC 2025 is the latest updated national standard for classifying economic activities in India, replacing the NIC 2008.
This revision, prepared by MoSPI, aligns with the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) Revision 5, developed by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). The NIC serves as a fundamental tool for statistical surveys, censuses, economic research, and policy formulation.
Key Features and Structural Changes
The NIC 2025 provides a contemporary framework that captures the rapid transformation of the Indian economy, driven by technological advancement and the emergence of new sectors. The revision reflects major structural, technological, and organizational shifts, including the rapid growth of renewable energy, fintech, e-commerce, and digital intermediation. It also recognizes indigenous sectors like Ayush-based healthcare and the handloom industry.
The new classification introduces a new 6-digit coding structure, replacing the 5-digit structure of NIC 2008. This enhancement provides greater granularity and flexibility, enabling better representation of emerging activities.
Structure Comparison: NIC 2008 vs. NIC 2025
| NIC 2008 | NIC 2025 | |
| Sections (Alphabetic) | 21 (A to U) | 22 (A to V) |
| Divisions (2-Digit) | 88 | 87 |
| Groups (3-Digit) | 238 | 257 |
| Class (4-Digit) | 403 | 463 |
| Sub-Class | 1304 | 1887 |
Salient Features of NIC 2025
The updated classification incorporates specific changes to better reflect the modern economy:
Enhanced Classification of Intermediation Services
New classes have been created across multiple sections to reflect the growing role of intermediaries in sectors such as retail, logistics, power, healthcare, education, real estate, and food services.
Environmental and Green Economy Integration
There is expanded coverage of carbon capture, waste management, and environmental remediation activities, with better alignment to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) framework.
Digital Economy Representation
Activities like cloud infrastructure, blockchain, web search portals, and platform-based services are distinctly classified, reflecting the evolving nature of the digital economy.
Technology Agnostic Classification
In general, the distinction of activities is not made based on whether an activity is carried out by means of traditional or modern production techniques.
The NIC 2025 will serve as a vital statistical standard for compiling and analysing economic indicators, significantly strengthening evidence-based policymaking, research, and sectoral planning. It will form the standard framework for all statistical surveys, administrative datasets, national accounts, and other official statistics in the country going forward.