MAM
Audiences swell for India F1 GP
MUMBAI: The first Indian F1 Grand Prix that was held last weekend has seen a sixfold increase in TV ratings compared to other F1 races, according to data from TAM Sports (c&s, 4+ six Metros).
Tam data shows that if an average F1 GP has a TVR of 100, then the India race managed a TVR of 715. In terms of the other GP races, the Malaysian GP ran a TVR of 171 while the Australian GP managed 154 and the Singapore event got around 85 TVR. The analysis is based on the Qualifying Race and Race Day.
Lodestar UN COO Anamika Mehta said that since the F1 race was taking place in India for the first time, there was a lot of buzz. “There was a lot more excitement and it is natural that the TVR grew. F1 is still a nascent sport but if it is cultivated and marketed well, it will grow.”
Advertisers are still figuring out how an F1 association works in terms of economics and ROI. “The good news is that the race took place during the holiday season. Around 95,000 people watched the race on the ground which shows the kind of interest the event generated,” said Mehta.
Mehta feels that interest in advertisers among F1 at a ground level will mostly be for the India event as opposed to being involved with the other races. “Being involved with F1 at an overall level will be a slow burn process. Even Indian companies which want to go abroad for now are mostly only involved with the Indian race. It does not make sense for Indian companies who are mostly local to be involved at a ground level with races in foreign markets.”
Mehta expects advertisers to experiment with the F1 race in India over the next two to three years, both on-air and on the ground. So one could see different kinds of partnerships taking place.
Mehta also does not expect much viewership growth to happen for the other races remaining in the season. “While there might be a bit of growth for the remaining races in the season, I don‘t think that it will be dramatic. The sport has to be cultivated in the country,” she averred.
MAM
Time brings TIME100 Next franchise to India with Reliance
List to spotlight 100 emerging leaders, gala set for December 2026 in Mumbai.
MUMBAI: It’s about time India’s next wave got a global spotlight and now, it’s on the list. New York-headquartered Time is expanding its TIME100 Next franchise to India, partnering with Reliance Industries Limited to launch TIME100 Next India, its first international extension of the rising leaders platform. The announcement was made at the Time100 Gala in New York by Jessica Sibley and Nita Mukesh Ambani, signalling a strategic push to tap into India’s growing influence across sectors.
The India edition will recognise 100 emerging leaders from the country and the global Indian diaspora, spanning business, science, sports, arts and social impact. The list will be curated by Time’s editorial team and published online, continuing the franchise’s focus on identifying individuals shaping the future.
The initiative will culminate in a gala event scheduled for December 2026 at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, anchoring the platform within India’s cultural and business ecosystem.
TIME’s broader Time100 franchise has steadily expanded its global footprint since 2021 through events and impact-led initiatives. Executives noted that India’s growing pool of influential voices and innovators made it a natural next step for the platform’s international ambitions.
For Reliance, the partnership aligns with its broader push to support emerging talent and ideas on a global stage. For Time, it marks a timely bet on India not just as a market, but as a talent engine shaping the next chapter of global leadership.
