TAM ready to support BARC in next phase of audience measurement: LV Krishnan

India’s television and video audience measurement ecosystem is poised for a significant transformation following the Centre’s latest policy overhaul, with industry stakeholders signalling both readiness and collaboration to support the transition. 

Among the early respondents, TAM Media Research has struck a notably constructive tone, underlining its willingness to work alongside the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India as the new framework takes shape.

Reacting to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s updated policy architecture, LV Krishnan, CEO of TAM Media Research, described the move as both timely and progressive. 

“While we are reading through the policy changes, this was expected sooner than later. I think a pretty positive, comprehensive and forward-looking architecture has been laid down by the MIB on video audience measurement for the country,” Krishnan said.

His remarks come at a time when the government is resetting and strengthening the credibility of India’s audience measurement systems, an area that has faced scrutiny in recent years over transparency, methodology and scale. 

The new policy is widely seen as an attempt to create a more robust, tech-driven and future-ready measurement ecosystem that spans both traditional television and digital video consumption.

Krishnan emphasised that TAM has already been laying the groundwork required for such a shift. “At TAM, we have been working on some of the foundations for building this exercise. 

This will only further help in fast-pacing the change,” he noted, suggesting that the company’s existing investments in data science, analytics and measurement infrastructure position it well to contribute meaningfully under the new regime.

Importantly, TAM’s response also signals a collaborative approach rather than a competitive one, particularly in the context of its joint venture association with Broadcast Audience Research Council India. Industry observers see this as a crucial factor in ensuring continuity and stability as the ecosystem evolves.

“With the JV with BARC India, TAM is willing to help BARC in the next phase of measurement depending on industry requirements,” Krishnan added. 

The statement underscores a readiness to pool expertise, technology and domain knowledge to support BARC’s expanded mandate, especially as it scales up its measurement infrastructure in line with regulatory expectations.

The emphasis on collaboration is significant given the scale and complexity of the changes envisioned. Expanding measurement systems, integrating cross-platform viewership data, and enhancing granularity in audience insights will require not just technological upgrades but also deep institutional knowledge and industry alignment.

Krishnan further highlighted TAM’s broader vision of contributing to industry growth through enhanced measurement capabilities. “We look forward to helping in building deeper audience understanding using technology, expertise and knowledge to create industry business growth in coming years,” he said.

This aligns with the broader industry expectation that improved measurement systems will unlock greater advertiser confidence, more precise media planning and ultimately higher investments in the sector.

The policy shift is also expected to accelerate innovation in audience analytics, with increased reliance on data integration, artificial intelligence and real-time measurement tools. TAM’s positioning suggests that legacy measurement firms are keen to evolve alongside these changes rather than be displaced by them.

For BARC India, which remains central to India’s television ratings ecosystem, such industry backing could prove critical. As it prepares for the next phase of expansion and compliance under the new guidelines, partnerships and knowledge-sharing arrangements may help smoothen the transition while maintaining continuity for broadcasters, advertisers and agencies.

Overall, TAM’s response reflects a broader sentiment within sections of the industry: that the new policy, while ambitious, offers an opportunity to rebuild and modernise India’s audience measurement architecture. If executed effectively, stakeholders believe it could usher in a more transparent, scalable and future-ready system—one that better reflects the rapidly evolving consumption patterns of Indian viewers.