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"Revised TRP norms propose fairer, more accurate ratings system": Govt informs Lok Sabha
According to the Ministry, the proposed amendments are designed to enable fair competition, improve the accuracy and representativeness of television ratings, and ensure that India’s TRP system reflects the rapidly evolving viewing habits across linear TV, digital platforms, and connected devices.
The revised guidelines mark the most comprehensive attempt in over a decade to rebuild trust in the TRP system.
The government on Wednesday informed the Lok Sabha that it has moved a step closer to overhauling India’s television audience measurement framework, with a revised draft amendment to the Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies in India, 2014 now placed in the public domain for further consultation.
Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Dr. L. Murugan said that after receiving inputs on the first draft, issued on July 2, 2025, the Ministry published a second, revised draft on November 6, 2025, signalling the Centre’s intent to modernise the country’s TRP ecosystem and address long-standing credibility challenges. He was responding to questions raised by Dr. Kirsan Namdeo and Shri Charanjit Singh Channi.
According to the Ministry, the proposed amendments are designed to enable fair competition, improve the accuracy and representativeness of television ratings, and ensure that India’s TRP system reflects the rapidly evolving viewing habits across linear TV, digital platforms, and connected devices.
What the draft reforms propose
The revised guidelines mark the most comprehensive attempt in over a decade to rebuild trust in the TRP system. Key proposed changes include:
- Exclusion of landing page viewership, ending a long-criticised tactic used by channels to inflate ratings.
- Mandatory expansion of TV rating panel homes, with agencies required to add 10,000 households annually until the panel reaches 1.2 lakh, and to scale up to 80,000 homes within six months of notification.
- Platform-agnostic measurement, extending ratings to Connected TVs (CTVs) and other emerging formats.
- Stricter conflict-of-interest rules, barring any single entity from holding 20% or more equity in both a broadcaster and a rating agency.
However, the draft exempts the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) from this equity restriction, a carve-out that has split expert opinion, with some calling it necessary for continuity while others argue it undermines the spirit of structural reform.
Why this overhaul matters
India’s TRP system has faced persistent credibility crises, including allegations of manipulation, panel tampering, and inadequate representation of diverse audiences. The 2014 policy guidelines, under which BARC operates, have been widely viewed as outdated in an era where consumption has shifted sharply toward digital and connected TV ecosystems.
The new reforms aim to modernise, depoliticise, and democratise the ratings system, a critical backbone for India’s ₹30,000-crore TV advertising industry. Media planners and broadcasters have broadly welcomed the intent of the overhaul, but many say the proposed changes will require substantial operational investments.
Industry stakeholders also told Storyboard18 that the December 5 deadline for public comments on the revised draft was too short for a reform of this scale. They caution that while the direction of reform is right, implementation will need longer timelines, stronger safeguards, and logistical support to avoid disruption.
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