The creation of a competent national indicator framework will be central to the tracking — and eventual attainment — of India’s sustainable development goals. Through an analytical study of India’s past efforts relating to the MDGs and its initial preparations for the SDGs, this paper identifies specific hurdles that must be overcome in building a health indicator architecture that is both globally relevant and aligned with national priorities. The statistical arm of the Indian government already collects significant data on multiple health-related aspects. There are distinct advantages in leveraging these existing information systems in the statistical tracking process. This, however, would require addressing five overarching weaknesses: data gaps, irregular periodicity, incomplete coverage, the lack of equity-sensitive monitoring, and the need for supplementary indicators.