Pankaj Krishna, Founder and CEO of Chrome Data Analytics & Media Pvt. Ltd. (Chrome DM), has written to Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw, proposing a unified, transparent and digital-first audience measurement system for India’s media ecosystem.
In a letter (reproduced below) addressed to the Minister, Pankaj Krishna argued that the current television ratings and audience measurement framework, which relies on people meters, is becoming increasingly impractical in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
According to Krishna, the installation cost of a people meter is approximately ₹25,000 per unit, making large-scale panel expansion costly and difficult. He also pointed to the challenges of measuring audience behaviour in a country with more than 1.4 billion people, 28 states, eight Union Territories and over 120 languages, stating that even a panel of one lakh meters would represent only a small sample of the population.
The letter further highlighted concerns around panel-based measurement systems, including the risk of panel leakage through households, field installation teams and referral-led deployment practices.
Citing Chrome DM data, Krishna stated that digital media consumption across Connected TVs (CTV), mobile devices, OTT platforms, browsers and smart TV environments spans 1.206 billion individuals, while linear television across cable and DTH reaches 682 million individuals, covering approximately 169.6 million households.
To address these challenges, Chrome DM proposed a two-pronged measurement framework. The company recommended the use of Return Path Data (RPD) from set-top boxes across multi-system operators (MSOs) to enable scalable television measurement. It also called for OTT platforms, Connected TV platforms and mobile service providers to provide API access to authorised measurement agencies.
According to the company, combining these data sources could enable the creation of a unified ratings system capable of measuring audience behaviour across television and digital platforms in real time.
Chrome DM stated that it already possesses the technology and infrastructure required to support such a framework. The company said it has been measuring television distribution and consumption intelligence since 2008 and digital audience behaviour since 2021, working with broadcasters, OTT platforms and digital media companies across genres.
The company also highlighted its indigenous measurement architecture covering data collection, validation, analytics, reporting and dashboarding, along with its capability to process and analyse large volumes of cross-platform consumption data.
Krishna noted that such a system could benefit broadcasters, advertisers, agencies, platforms, policymakers and the broader media industry by providing a more comprehensive view of audience behaviour.
As part of its submission, Chrome DM also shared details of its live COTT News Track dashboard, which it said is capable of tracking consumption across Connected TVs, mobile devices, native applications, third-party apps and browsers. The dashboard includes metrics such as live views, peak views, average views, cumulative views and trending news keywords.
The company has offered to present its capabilities and recommendations to the Ministry in greater detail should the government choose to explore the proposal further.
Krishna’s letter to the I&B Minister is reproduced below for greater clarity and context.
To
The Hon’ble Minister for Information & Broadcasting
Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw
Government of India
Subject: India is Ready for A Unified, Transparent and Digital-First Audience Measurement System
Sir, I am writing to submit a few very important facts on the current challenges facing the television ratings and audience measurement ecosystem in India which is turning obsolete and impractical.
- A people meter is a hardware device, with an installation cost of ₹25,000 per unit. Every expansion of the panel base therefore requires significant incremental investment, making large-scale expansion practically unviable.
- With over 1,445 million people, 28 states, 8 Union Territories and more than 120 languages – we are a vast and highly heterogeneous country. In such a diverse market, a small finite panel of even one lakh meters would extrapolate to ~15,000 individuals!
- Being finite in nature, the panel is prone to leakage, and this has been rampant since its inception. The panel home itself can become the first point of leakage. The second leak point is the field installation and servicing teams, as each field member has access to multiple panel homes. The third is the referral-led deployment practices itself, increasing the risk of panel identification and potential misuse.
As per the current Chrome DM data, media consumption across digital platforms — including Connected TVs, mobile devices, OTT apps, browsers and smart TV environments — spans 1,206 million individuals, while linear TV, including C&S and DTH, reaches 682 million individuals, (169.6 million HHs).
If the government were to mandate the following, Chrome DM is ready with the technology required to capture, analyse and report consumption data across cable, DTH and ALL digital devices in real time:
- Return Path Data (RPD) from set-top boxes across all MSOs for transparent and scalable television measurement.
- All OTT platforms, Connected TV platforms and mobile service providers to provide API access to authorised measurement agencies.
With these two pillars, India can build a unified ratings system that captures real audience behaviour across all major screens and platforms.
We have the technical capability, infrastructure and experience to support such a framework and with immediate effect.
- Been measuring television distribution and consumption intelligence since 2008 and digital audience behaviour since 2021, it has worked with practically all major broadcasters in India across news and non-news genres, and is now active across the OTT, CTV and digital platform ecosystem as well.
2.100% indigenous, technology-led measurement architecture covering data collection, validation, analytics, reporting and dashboarding.
- Infrastructure to collect, process and analyse high-volume data across platforms and devices.
Such a system will benefit broadcasters, platforms, advertisers, agencies, policymakers and the Indian media ecosystem at large.
A Note from the Undersigned
The undersigned has been associated with the Media & Entertainment industry for almost three decades now, having held leadership roles at STAR, India Today Group and UTV before founding Chrome DM.
The undersigned has successfully completed an Executive Education Program from Harvard Business School and holds O Levels from the University of London. A consistent academic topper since schooling in Africa, he earned a B.Sc. (Honours) in Mathematics and a Post-Graduation in Business Administration from India.
His professional journey reflects a distinctive blend of media industry expertise, analytical depth, strategic foresight, and technology-led innovation. With a proven record of excellence across diverse domains, he brings a unique ability to bridge creative industries with data-driven decision-making and forward-looking strategy.
We would be honoured to present our capabilities and suggestions in greater detail, should the Ministry find it appropriate.
Also attached is a screen shot of the readily available dashboard encapsulating all of the above ready for immediate launch. We would be honoured to present our capabilities and suggestions in greater detail, should the Ministry find it appropriate.
Chrome DM COTT News Track Live Tracker Dashboard
LIVE Dashboard Capturing consumption across CTVs, Mobiles, Native Apps, 3rd Party Apps & Browsers:
- Peak Views for a specific period for selected channels
- Average Views for a specific period for selected channels
- Cumulative Views for a specific period for selected channels
- Live Views for a specific period for selected channels
- Trending keywords from the top News feeds
Regards,
Pankaj Krishna
Founder & CEO
Chrome Data Analytics & Media Pvt. Ltd.
