The Indian Readership Survey (IRS), the currency for print media, is expected to resume soon, according to the newly elected leadership of the research body, Media Research Users Council of India (MRUCI). The resumption of IRS, which was last conducted in 2019, has also found mention in the council’s 30th annual report for 2023-24.
The board of directors of MRUCI recently elected Vikram Sakhuja, group CEO, Madison Media and OOH, as vice-chairman at its annual general meeting, media reports said. Sakhuja replaces Shashank Srivastava of Maruti. Shailesh Gupta, wholetime director, Jagran Prakashan, has been reelected chairman of the council that conducts IRS.
The new members appointed to the board of governors are Jayant Mammen Mathew, director, MM TV; Partho Banerjee, senior executive director (marketing & sales), Maruti Suzuki; Pratap Govind Pawar, Chairman, Sakal Media; Tejas Apte, head of DMC and Media- South Asia, Hindustan Unilever; Vikram Sakhuja, partner, Group CEO- Media & OOH, Madison Communications.
The media quoted Gupta as saying after his election, “The past four years have presented us with unique challenges, but with perseverance and collaboration, we are now ready to resume the IRS Study. The commitment of our technical committee and board members has ensured that we can move forward with a cost-effective solution, without compromising on the quality of the study. We deeply appreciate the unwavering support from our members during these trying times, and we are confident that together, we will soon realize our shared vision.”
Sakhuja said it is a privilege to be elected as vice chairman of MRUC. “I am grateful to the MRUC Board for this opportunity. We have a wonderful MRUC secretariat and a committed and talented technical committee. We are committed to bringing back the IRS as the country’s definitive and most credible establishment survey in the coming months,” he was quoted as saying.
The council’s annual report for 2023-24 also says that the MRUCI management is now in the process of finalizing its decision to revamp the flagship study of IRS. “Taking into consideration one major factor, i.e ‘Cost’ of the study being the industry concern, the management directed the IRS technical committee to explore different methods/possibilities that lead to delivering the study with optimizing the cost, without compromising on the quality and robustness of the study. Thus, in the last couple of months, the technical committee has undergone multiple discussions to come up with a solution that helps restart the study as early as possible. The MRUCI management hopes to announce the re-launch of the IRS study at an early date,” the report seen by Indian Printer and Publisher says.
Sakhuja, a prominent face in the ad industry, has held key positions on numerous industry boards and committees, including the Advertising Standards Council of India, the Audit Bureau of Circulation, Readership Studies Council of India, Broadcast Audience Research Council, and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
Gupta has more than 35 years of experience in the media industry. He was the president of the Indian Newspaper Society and chairman of the council of ABC. He is also the director of Music Broadcast, Rave Real Estate, MMI Online and Midday Infomedia.
