MAM
Dentsu Aegis Network to acquire Forbes Consulting Group
MUMBAI: Dentsu Aegis Network Ltd. has acquired US-based full-service consumer insight firm Forbes Consulting Group.
Forbes Consulting Group, which has strengths in the neuroscience domain, was founded in 1985 and specializes in both quantitative and qualitative research and analysis, providing consulting services based on its own research methods, data analysis, and consumer insights.
The company has an established reputation for providing insights into what emotional motivations drive the purchasing behaviour of consumers. The MindSight analytic tool that CEO David Forbes introduced in academic journals in 2011 has earned high praise from many leading companies.
The MindSight tool uses groundbreaking non-cognitive techniques to identify the underlying and often unconscious motivations that govern consumer behaviour and to measure the extent to which a brand’s communications and customer experience are activating these motivations.
The Dentsu Group has to date provided market research services to clients in the US through its marketing strategy consultancy Copernicus. Post-acquisition, Forbes Consulting Group will become part of Copernicus and Forbes will be appointed to the position of its chief innovation officer. The addition of new services and capabilities to Copernicus will enable the provision of enhanced value-added solutions to Dentsu Group clients.
Brands
Uidai partners with Google to help users locate Aadhaar centres
Verified Aadhaar centres to appear on Maps with services and access info
MUMBAI: Finding an Aadhaar centre may soon be as easy as finding your favourite café. In a move aimed at making public services more accessible, the Unique Identification Authority of India has partnered with Google to display authorised Aadhaar centres on Google Maps. The feature, expected to roll out in the coming months, will allow residents to locate verified centres quickly and confidently.
More than 60,000 Aadhaar centres, including state of the art Aadhaar Seva Kendras, will be mapped. When users search on Google Maps, they will be directed to authorised facilities rather than unverified listings, helping curb misinformation and confusion.
The listings will do more than drop a pin. Users will be able to see the nature of services offered at each centre, whether it is adult enrolment, child enrolment, or limited to address and mobile number updates. Details such as operating hours, parking availability and divyang friendly infrastructure will also be shown wherever applicable.
Uidai CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, said the collaboration is part of the authority’s continued effort to improve ease of living for Aadhaar holders by making authorised centres simpler and faster to navigate.
The partnership will deepen in its next phase, with Uidai using Google Business Profile to manage information and respond directly to public feedback. Looking ahead, the two organisations are also exploring the option of enabling appointment bookings through the Google Maps interface, potentially allowing residents to plan their visits with greater efficiency.
Google India country head, strategic partnerships Roli Agarwal, said integrating verified Aadhaar centres would help millions access trusted services with confidence, bringing essential government infrastructure closer to the people who need it most.
If all goes to plan, a routine Aadhaar update may soon begin not with a queue, but with a search bar.
