Nielsen pushes for collaborative, multi-ratings agency measurement ecosystem in India

Nielsen is all set to work alongside India’s established audience measurement bodies, as the company sees mega opportunity in collaboration—not disruption—as the most effective route to building a future-ready measurement ecosystem. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) had released a draft amendment to the policy guidelines governing Television Rating Agencies in India and opening the ratings market.

It is to be noted that media research firm TAM, a joint venture between Nielsen (USA) and Kantar (UK) had applied for a license as a ratings and audience measurement body with the MIB. The license of which is pending with the government. TAM is a frontrunner in the race to enter into ratings system.

Akhil Parekh, CPO, Nielsen said, “In the US and many other markets, in some markets, we are a data delivery provider to the existing measurement bodies. In some markets, we are the measurement body of record,” he said.

Parekh noted that India’s established TV measurement continues to act as a foundational benchmark for advertisers, broadcasters and agencies. “Its scale and continuity and broadband household rates make a baseline for advertisers, broadcasters, agencies. They can even elevate the impact and comparability over time,” he said.

However, he pointed out that this foundation must now be strengthened with independent, digital-first metrics capable of tracking mobile-heavy consumption, on-demand viewing, short-form content and connected TV. “Complementing this foundation with independent metrics is going to increasingly be available to fill the gaps across domains,” he said, adding that such solutions bring more granular, real-time insights on audience profiles, attention, viewability and attribution — areas where traditional panels fall short.

Asked whether Nielsen plans to directly enter the Indian ratings market as a measurement provider, Parekh said the company does not intend to take an aggressive standalone approach.

“A multi-agency audience measurement ecosystem definitely fosters greater transparency and accountability. It will bring innovation across the media landscape,” he said. “But our approach in the market is rooted in collaboration. We will work alongside existing measurement systems to enhance what we bring to the table as a competitive differentiator.” TAM is a JV between Kantar and Nielsen and is eyeing cross screen measurement in India.

He added that Nielsen’s strengths lie in technology-driven and science-backed methodologies, including advanced data modelling, hybrid measurement and privacy-safe integrations. These, he said, can boost industry precision without disrupting current structures. “This fosters the integration of more, better data and will bring more precision and agility in the audience insights,” he said.

On partnerships, Parekh said Nielsen is open to working with all industry bodies. “There’s nothing really set in stone. But our approach is to basically work with the existing bodies. There will be measurement bodies of different kinds, and we are looking to collaborate with them,” he said.