‘Ambitious but challenging’: Stakeholders question MIB’s TRP timeline and cost burden

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) has proposed sweeping amendments to the Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies in India, marking the most significant overhaul of India’s television audience measurement system in over a decade. The new draft seeks to fix long-standing credibility gaps in TRP measurement by addressing manipulation loopholes, expanding coverage, and aligning metrics with evolving consumption habits.

MIB proposes TRP Panel expansion to 1.2 lakh; feedback open till Dec 5

Among the headline changes, the MIB has clarified that viewership from landing pages- a tool long exploited by broadcasters to artificially boost ratings- will no longer be counted in audience measurement. The Ministry has also mandated that rating agencies expand their panel size by 10,000 households every year until they reach 1.2 lakh, with a minimum of 80,000 required within six months of notification.

Additionally, the government has proposed that ratings become platform-agnostic, covering all mediums including Connected TVs (CTVs). To prevent conflicts of interest, no single entity may hold 20% or more equity in both a broadcaster and a rating agency.

However, this clause exempts the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), India’s self-regulated industry body- an exemption that has divided expert opinion.

BARC exempted from eligibility norms, cross-holding clauses in draft TRP Guidelines

The Ministry has invited public comments on the draft until December 5, 2025, but several stakeholders believe the feedback window is too short for a reform of this magnitude.

Reform applauded, but implementation under scrutiny

Across the media and advertising ecosystem, there is broad consensus that the amendments are a step in the right direction. Experts agree that the MIB’s intent, to modernize, depoliticize, and democratize TRP measurement, is well-timed for a market in flux. Yet, they warn that the proposed pace of change may prove difficult to execute without logistical and financial support from the government and the industry.

Applauding the move, Kailash Adhikari, Managing Director, Sri Adhikari Brothers Network (SAB), said, “While I don’t advocate that media should survive solely on advertising, I firmly believe that subscription should be the primary revenue source. However, the reality and business model of Indian media are quite the opposite, with free-to-air (FTA) channels being the largest drivers of television viewership. Naturally, these ratings play a crucial role in economic growth and employment generation.

The market has often seen cases where, despite new content offerings, ratings remain stagnant- highlighting the need for stricter audits.

Moreover, in a market with over 210 million households, having a panel size of less than a lakh is disproportionately small. "It’s unfair that a $3.54 billion market depends on such a limited sample. Increasing the number of households is, therefore, a very welcome step.

It will now be up to the rating agencies to implement this with integrity and transparency,” he added.

Ashish Bhasin, Founder of The Bhasin Consulting Group, described the direction as positive, noting that India’s diversity demands a more robust panel size for credible data. “If the number of people has increased, the number of meters must increase too,” he said. But Bhasin added that implementation must be pragmatic. “This is not something that can be achieved overnight. Whether the timeline is practical or not, BARC and other players will have to assess it closely.”

Next big test for BARC, TAM as Ministry of I&B proposes platform-agnostic ratings across all screens

Bhasin also argued that BARC should be treated differently from commercial enterprises. “It’s a joint industry body whose purpose isn’t profitability but to provide robust viewership data. The industry should consolidate resources and strengthen BARC instead of creating multiple currencies, which only causes confusion,” he said, recalling the failed parallel systems of TAM and INTAM from earlier years.

His stance finds resonance among several industry veterans who believe that while BARC’s model isn’t flawless, it remains the most credible and collaborative approach available.

Transparency gains traction

Many observers view the new guidelines as a long-overdue clean-up of structural weaknesses. The landing page provision, for instance, has been among the most contentious aspects of TV marketing and ratings for years.

“Landing pages have been misused and twisted in marketing campaigns,” Bhasin said.

Sanjay Trehan, Digital and New Media Advisor, echoed the sentiment, saying that the reforms would “broadbase measurement, eliminate bias from small panels, and bring inclusivity.” The emphasis on CTV measurement, he added, “reflects the reality that viewership and screens are rapidly evolving.”

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Sanjay Dwiwedi, Group CEO and CFO at Balaji, agreed that the MIB’s proposals would enhance transparency but warned of operational strain.

“Increasing panel size and adding compliance layers will significantly raise costs for agencies,” he said. “These measures should be implemented gradually to ensure continued innovation and industry participation.”

BARC exemption fuels debate on fairness

While most experts back the intent behind the reforms, the BARC exemption from cross-holding and equity restrictions has drawn criticism from legal quarters, who fear it could create an uneven playing field.

Sonam Chandwani, Partner at KS Legal, said the selective exemption could “undermine competitive fairness and transparency.” “While the amendment enhances auditability and platform-neutral measurement, it also risks creating regulatory arbitrage by allowing one player to operate under lighter oversight,” she observed.

TRP guidelines to go through multiple rounds of consultation: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Siddharth Chandrashekhar, Advocate at the Bombay High Court, called for uniform governance across all agencies.

“The MIB has done well to raise the floor on transparency, but the ceiling remains undefined. The BARC carve-out could erode trust unless there is ongoing, independent audit of methodologies,” he said, adding that the short consultation window might limit robust industry participation.

Expanding coverage, evolving technology

Beyond regulatory parity, the proposal’s most ambitious shift is its mandate for platform-neutral measurement. Experts say that incorporating Connected TVs is not just timely but essential to accurately represent how India now consumes content.

Former BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta, now Managing Partner at Thoth Advisors, said the expansion to 1.2 lakh households is “ambitious but achievable” with proper cooperation and resource allocation. “CTV inclusion is absolutely relevant today,” he said. “The technology for cross-media measurement exists- what’s needed is collective will.”

Bhasin agreed, calling CTV “a natural evolution.” “When BARC was first set up, digital was almost non-existent. As viewing habits evolve, measurement must evolve too. Clients will naturally want CTV viewership data as more audiences shift there,” he added.

The reform, if implemented fully, could inject an estimated ₹400 crore (around $50 million) in new investment across data collection, technology, and regional coverage. But experts caution that the success of this overhaul depends on whether the ecosystem can collaborate rather than fragment.

Bhasin emphasized that the industry should focus its energy on strengthening one unified measurement body. “Having multiple currencies will spread resources thin,” he said. “What we need is one strong, consolidated system that reflects India’s diverse viewership accurately.”

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Dasgupta added that the expanded panel must not be treated as a mere statistical upgrade. “It’s not just about numbers- it’s about improving the confidence level in data output, especially for lower viewership categories,” he said.

With its latest draft, the MIB has signaled that it intends to make India’s TRP system cleaner, broader, and more technologically relevant. The direction is widely applauded. Yet, the real test lies in execution.

As one expert summed it up, the Ministry may have finally switched off the landing page game and tuned into Connected TV, but true transparency will depend on whether the TRP ecosystem can function on one frequency- free of bias, favoritism, or fragmented measurement.