BARC India and TAM India have formed of a new meter management company that will run the meter operations and will supply raw data to the former.
Meters will be deployed based on BARC's sample design and the ratings will be computed and disseminated through BARC India's software.
This ratings data will be the sole trading currency for the country, giving advertisers, broadcasters and agencies accurate and quality measurement.
The meter company will have the meter assets and panel management operations of the present BARC India and TAM India panels, which will be jointly owned by BARC India, Nielsen and Kantar and with management control resting with BARC India.
Initially, the company will have 34,000 meters covering all of India, and will supply raw data to BARC, which will use its own statistical processes and sampling design.
TAM India will continue to provide its non-TV ratings services to the market, notably AdEx – Advertising Expenditure for TV, print, Radio, RAM - Radio Audience Measurement, Eikona – PR Audit, TAM Sports Measurement and S-Group Consulting.
"This partnership is a big step forward and in this era of cooperation, we welcome this move forward as a joint industry body,” said Punit Goenka, chairman of BARC India. “The technology and methodological prowess of BARC, combined with the extra meters and the field force will definitely help the industry progress."