MAM
GEC turf: Gap narrows between Star Plus and Colors
MUMBAI: Star Plus, the leader among the Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs), saw a mighty fall in its ratings for the week ended 11 June, resulting in the gap with Colors narrowing to a single digit number.
Star Plus managed to stick to its leadership position, despite a loss of 42 GRPs (gross rating points) over the earlier week. The channel closed with 247 GRPs compared to 289 in the previous week, according to Tam data for the Hindi speaking markets (C&S, 4+).
Colors also lost six GRPs to end the week with 239 GRPs.
Colors’ Balika Vadhu shared the top spot with Zee TV’s Pavitra Rishta in the top 10 shows list. It is almost after a gap of two years that Balika Vadhu has reached the top. Incidentally, the show also completed 750 episodes on the channel.
The ratings were good for Zee TV, which added 25 GRPs to its last week tally to end with 208 GRPs. In the previous week, Sony Entertainment Television had come dangerously close to the channel with a gap of just 2 GRPs. Zee TV strengthened its third spot as Set lost 18 GRPs to end with 181 GRPs.
Set’s sister channel Sab remained flat by adding 1 GRP to end the week with 148 GRPs.
Imagine TV, meanwhile, added 5 GRPs and recorded 90 GRPs in the week. Star One and Sahara One were at 37 GRPs (last week 37) and 32 GRPs (last week 27) respectively.
MAM
Kantar appoints Biswaroop C as Southeast Asia growth chief
Former Toluna MD to lead commercial growth across Southeast Asia markets.
MUMBAI: In a world chasing algorithms, growth still seems to come down to one thing, understanding people better than spreadsheets do. Biswaroop C is stepping into that very equation, joining Kantar as chief growth officer for Southeast Asia. The mandate is clear drive commercial growth across the region at a time when the insights industry is being reshaped by artificial intelligence and evolving client expectations.
Biswaroop shared the update via LinkedIn, signalling both a career move and a shift in focus. While acknowledging the growing influence of AI in how insights are generated, he underscored that the fundamentals of the business remain unchanged: trust, context, and the ability to decode what clients really mean not just what they say in a brief.
Drawing on his experience across APAC and Africa, he noted that businesses ultimately value partners who can go beyond formal mandates and engage with underlying concerns. It is a perspective that aligns with Kantar’s push to blend data-driven intelligence with deeper human understanding.
He joins from Toluna, where he served as managing director in Singapore, bringing regional leadership experience and a track record in scaling insights-led businesses.
As Kantar sharpens its growth play in Southeast Asia, Biswaroop’s role will centre on working closely with teams across markets navigating a landscape where technology may be rewriting the tools, but relationships continue to write the outcomes.
