TAM Media Research has applied for a licence under India’s new Television Ratings Policy, 2026, signalling a potential return as an active ratings player after its earlier stance of supporting BARC India post their joint venture.
TAM’s proposed model is built around return-path data (RPD) as a starting point, before expanding into cross-screen measurement through partnerships – notably its existing tie-up with connected TV measurement firm VTION. In June, the two launched CTV Ad Pulse, combining TAM’s ad-monitoring capabilities with VTION’s passive, consent-based panel of over 100,000 smartphones extended to CTV, to track audience profile, reach, frequency and campaign delivery.
The move comes as the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting examines how measurement should evolve across linear TV, smart TVs and connected devices, and has reportedly approached both TAM and Chrome DM to assess their CTV capabilities. Chrome DM, notably, has argued that television measurement will increasingly need to blend census-level data with representative panels for demographic accuracy.
Industry executives caution that a licence alone doesn’t make a ratings currency – building one demands representative panels, field operations, people meters, robust governance and the ability to withstand scrutiny from broadcasters and advertisers alike. While the revised policy has lowered the net-worth requirement from Rs 20 crore to Rs 5 crore, actual nationwide measurement infrastructure could still cost upward of Rs 1,000 crore.
TAM’s application could also reshape the ratings landscape itself, raising the question of whether India moves toward multiple full-service agencies or a more modular ecosystem where specialists handle different layers of audience data.
