Kaggle, the UCI repository and Hugging Face for ready-to-use files; data.gov.in, RBI, NSE and the Census for Indian data; Google Dataset Search and the Awesome Public Datasets list for discovery; World Bank, Our World in Data, NASA and AWS Open Data for large public series. Read the licence first.
A project is only as credible as its data source. Prefer datasets with a clear licence and a documented collection method, and say both in your README.
The 16 picks
Swipe or use the arrows.
Per-dataset licence; free accountKaggle Datasets
Thousands of datasets with notebooks showing how others used them.
Mostly CC BY 4.0UCI Machine Learning Repository
Classic, well-documented datasets for modelling practice.
Per-dataset licenceHugging Face Datasets
Text, image and audio datasets loadable in one line of Python.
Government Open Data Licence Indiadata.gov.in
India's open government data platform: health, agriculture, transport, finance.
VariesGoogle Dataset Search
Search engine across thousands of dataset repositories.
RBI Database on Indian Economy
Banking, money, prices and external sector series from the Reserve Bank.
NSE India historical data
Daily stock and index prices and corporate data (check usage terms).
Free, registration for some setsCensus of India and NSSO (MoSPI)
Demographic and survey microdata for India.
CC BYOur World in Data
Clean long-run datasets with charts and sources.
Public domain (mostly)NASA Open Data
Earth science, climate and space datasets.
VariesRegistry of Open Data on AWS
Large public datasets you can query in the cloud.
Free tier query quotaGoogle BigQuery public datasets
Query public datasets with SQL inside the free tier.
Free accountMaven Analytics Data Playground
Business-style datasets for BI dashboards.
Compare in a table
Show the full comparison table
| Source | Best for | Licence or access |
|---|---|---|
| Kaggle Datasets | Portfolio projects of every kind | Per-dataset licence; free account |
| UCI Machine Learning Repository | Churn, credit, retail, spam | Mostly CC BY 4.0 |
| Hugging Face Datasets | NLP and vision projects | Per-dataset licence |
| data.gov.in | Indian analytics projects | Government Open Data Licence India |
| Google Dataset Search | Finding a dataset for an unusual topic | Varies |
| Awesome Public Datasets (GitHub) | Discovery | Varies |
| RBI Database on Indian Economy | Finance and economics dashboards | Free |
| NSE India historical data | Finance projects | Free for personal use; terms apply |
| Census of India and NSSO (MoSPI) | Social and policy analysis | Free, registration for some sets |
| World Bank Open Data | Country comparisons | CC BY 4.0 |
| Our World in Data | Storytelling and visualisation | CC BY |
| NASA Open Data | Science and geospatial projects | Public domain (mostly) |
| Registry of Open Data on AWS | Big-data and cloud practice | Varies |
| Google BigQuery public datasets | SQL practice at scale | Free tier query quota |
| FiveThirtyEight data | Journalism-style analysis | CC BY 4.0 |
| Maven Analytics Data Playground | Power BI and Tableau portfolios | Free account |
Get started this week
- Pick one dataset with a question attached.
- Record the licence and download date in your README.
- Build one chart that answers the question.
How to choose
- Choose a dataset with a question attached; a dataset with no question becomes a chart dump.
- Prefer Indian data for Indian employers; it shows context, not just tooling.
- Record the licence and download date in your README.
- Collect a small dataset yourself once; it is the strongest differentiator.
Free plans change. Limits above were checked on 31 Oct 2026; confirm on each tool's pricing page before relying on them.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find free datasets for projects?
Kaggle, UCI, Hugging Face and data.gov.in cover most needs; use Google Dataset Search when you need a specific topic.
Which datasets are best for Indian data analysis projects?
data.gov.in, RBI's database, NSE historical data, Census and MoSPI surveys, and CPCB air-quality data via data.gov.in or Kaggle.
Can I use Kaggle datasets in my portfolio?
Yes, if you follow the dataset's licence and cite it. Add your own analysis or question so the project is yours.
Where do I get financial data for projects?
Company annual reports, NSE and BSE filings, RBI's database and price history via yfinance (check its terms). See the finance projects.
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