Welcome back to The Roundup, Data For India's monthly newsletter bringing you our latest work, new features and major updates, right in your inbox.
In this month's edition: a closer look at obesity in India, new Data Bytes on education, life expectancy and tobacco use, and an easy way to explore the breadth of Data For India's work.
The Spotlight
Beyond BMI: A clearer view of obesity in India
Obesity is on the rise in India. Nearly a quarter of all Indian adults aged 15-49 were overweight or obese in 2021, and the share of adults who are overweight or obese has doubled since the mid-2000s. Obesity rates are higher in richer, urban households, but are rising fast among women and in poorer households too.
India's measurement choices shape what the obesity data shows. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) uses Body Mass Index (BMI) as the standard yardstick to track obesity, using the World Health Organization (WHO) cut-offs. But BMI alone cannot tell us where fat is stored, and may not accurately reflect health risks in Asian populations. In 2021, the NFHS also started measuring the Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR), which captures abdominal fat. 57% of women and 48% of men exceeded the WHR risk thresholds.
Read Nileena Suresh's work on obesity to see where it is rising fastest in India, and how patterns differ by gender, income, and region. Then read the companion measurement article to understand how BMI and WHR are calculated, their limitations and the attempts to assess health risk more precisely.
New On The Platform
- A higher education is associated with a significant wage premium in India. Abhishek Waghmare looks at the link between education and earnings, showing how wages rise sharply with higher levels of education.
- Most tobacco consumption in India is of gutkha, not cigarettes. Nileena Suresh's analysis shows that chewing tobacco products such as paan masala, gutkha and khaini account for the majority of tobacco use, especially among men.
- The gap in life expectancy between India and the UK has halved since Independence. Rukmini S traces India's life expectancy, showing how the gap with the UK has narrowed to less than a decade apart since Independence.
- Manufacturing has played a shrinking role in most industrialised states in India. Abhishek Waghmare analyses the declining share of manufacturing in India's GDP, a pattern that holds across most major industrialised states, with one exception.
One Thing To Try
Explore the breadth of data about India
Sometimes you might visit Data For India with a specific question, or looking for all our work on a certain topic. Other times, you may just be exploring and trying to understand the breadth of information available about India.
The topics section on the home page is designed for that kind of exploration. At the end of the page, you can find topics organised under key socio-economic themes. Click a tag to see all related articles on the website.
These tags also appear on individual articles listed on the platform. If you are reading something on Nutrition, Work, or Health, you can click the tag to find other articles on the same topic.
Conversations We Joined
Upcoming in Hyderabad
- Rukmini S is teaching a course on Seeing India Through Data for BA LLB (Honours) students at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad. After the first set of classes in August, she will return for the next set from September 7–10.
- Rukmini S will speak at a discussion on health and education data, organised by the Centre for Development Policy and Practice at CETI Foundation, Hyderabad, on September 8.
- Rukmini S will also join a Nalsar in Dialogue session at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, on September 11 at 5 pm.
Upcoming in Bangalore
- Nileena Suresh and Arpit are setting up a booth on September 26-27 at IndiaFOSS 2026 on “the last mile of public data”, where conference attendees can participate in activities to learn more about India through the lens of public data. Come meet us there!
- Also at IndiaFOSS 2026 Rukmini S is giving a talk on Telling India's Story Through Data on Saturday, September 26.
- Rukmini S is speaking at DesignUp 2026 in Bangalore on October 3-4, on how a data-driven view can both build and undo our vision of what India really looks like, and why that matters the moment you sit down to make a design decision. Get your tickets!
Talking Point
One chart worth sitting with this month, from a Data For India team member.
A country's income level and the share of communicable diseases in its total deaths may be closely related. Richer countries, presumably with better healthcare, better nutrition and cleaner environments, should be able to prevent more deaths from communicable diseases. But presented this way, the chart showed me how dramatic the gap between richer and poorer countries is, and by extension how much the way you die is determined by the country you are born in.
– Ameya, Researcher and Writer
That's it for the August 2026 edition of The Roundup. If you are in Hyderabad or Bangalore, join us at one of our upcoming events. We would love to talk, or you can reply to this email or reach us at info@dataforindia.com.
See you again on the last Friday of next month.
