The welcome address by Prof. Karthik Muralidharan set the context for the conference, emphasising the importance of high-quality administrative data in accelerating development outcomes. In the following session, expert panellists explored the multifaceted role of data in contemporary governance, addressing critical questions that define its current state, challenges, and future potential. The Data-Driven Governance Conference is an annual platform uniting government, impact sector partners, funders, donors and scholars to collaborate and leverage data for better governance. The first edition of the DDG Conference was held at the India International Centre in New Delhi on May 14, 2024.