MAM
Battle for 2nd spot intense among Hindi GECs
Mumbai: The fight for the second spot among Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) is intense. Zee TV, Sony Entertainment Television (Set) and Colors are separated from each other by just a few points, with Star Plus ahead of the pack.
As per TAM data (HSM, C&S, 4+) for week 38, provided by Hindi GECs, Star Plus is the leader with 252 GRPs (last week 250 gross ratings points). The fiction shows of the channel have not seen much change in viewership except ‘Diya Aur Bati Hum’ which notched 6 TVR (last week 5.3 TVR) in the week ended 22 September.
Second in the Hindi GEC hierarchy is Zee TV that winded up its dancing property ‘Dance Ke Superkids’ on 23 September (Sunday). The Saturday (22 September) episode of the show, which was part of the finale week, clocked 4.3 TVR. The channel lost five GRPs to close the week with 235 GRPs. Its fiction properties like ‘Pavitra Rishta’ (3.1 TVR) and ‘Punarvivaha’ (2.5 TVR) have seen slight dip in the viewership.
Just two GRPs behind Zee TV is Colors that added three GRPs to end the week with 233 GRPs (previous week 230). Its reality property ‘India‘s Got Talent’ opened with a 4.1 TVR on 22 September. The show had debuted with 3.9 TVR in its last season. ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa’ that will air its finale this weekend recorded 2.8 TVR (last week 3.2 TVR) in week 38. ‘Balika Vadhu’ continues to be the leading show of the channel with 4.5 TVR.
Set continues to be a strong fighter with 232 GRPs (previous week 230). Its popular fiction show, ‘Bade Achche Lagte Hain’, rated 4.7 TVR (last week 3.9), as the lead protagonists Ram and Priya meet each other after five years. ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ averaged 3.9 TVR. Its other shows like ‘Kuch to log kahenge’ (1.4 TVR), ‘Kya Hua Tera Vada’ (1.8 TVR) and ‘Parwarish’ (1.6 TVR) saw growth in eyeballs.
Meanwhile, despite the loss of six GRPs, Sab has jumped back to No.5 spot on the GEC ladder. Life OK with 124 GRPs (last week 167) follows. The channel had fetched its highest ratings last week on the back of the grand episode of ‘Mahadev’ that got this year’s highest rating of 8.2 TVR.
Sahara One with 29 GRPs (last week 34) is at the bottom of the ladder.
The Hindi GECs were hit by the cricket T20 World Cup which kicked off on 18 September. The combined GRPs from Hindi GECs fell to 1271 from 1322 as the T20 matches were telecast live during evening prime time.
Brands
33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
