iWorld
Indian Research and Insights industry to grow 2X by 2026 to $4.2 bn: MRSI
Mumbai: The Indian research and insights (R&I) industry is expected to grow at 12-14 per cent CAGR to $4.2 billion (Rs 31,300 crore) by 2025-26, compared to $2.1 bn (INR 17,200 crore) in 2020-21, according to a new report.
The latest analysis was presented by the Market Research Society of India which launched its inaugural edition of the Indian Research & Insights (R&I) Industry Report, here on Thursday. As per the report, India is fast becoming the global analytics hub, with international markets accounting for three-fourth of its revenues. The Indian R&I sector currently employs more than 125,000 people.
During 2020-21, marketing analytics services accounted for 52 per cent of the total Indian R&I industry revenues, while traditional market research and syndicated/ publishing services stood at 32 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively. By 2025-26, analytics services would account for 59 per cent, while custom market research and syndicated/ publishing services would account for 27 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively, the report forecasts.
At present, the FMCG and retail sectors are the largest consumers for research and insights with a share of 27 per cent, followed by information, communications & telecom (16 per cent) and BFSI (15 per cent).
“The Indian research & insights industry has staged a robust recovery and is emerging as the most sought-after destination for analytics, globally. The availability of talent coupled with proven expertise in data handling, technology, infrastructure, and cost competitiveness will lead to an orbital shift in the industry by 2030,” said MRSI president Sandeep Arora. “We not only expect the R&I industry to grow 2X in the next five years but can safely estimate the industry size to reach $10 bn by 2030, especially with the strategic direction that most providers are adopting to move towards MR 3.0.”
MRSI partnered with Value Notes as the research partner for ensuring methodological objectivity of the 150+ report. The study curates the findings from exhaustive desk research, secondary data of 198 companies, and more than 140 interviews conducted with industry professionals.
iWorld
Meta introduces new AI tools to boost discovery-to-purchase journey
From shoppable Reels to generative video, platforms get smarter at turning attention into sales.
MUMBAI: Meta is turning “scroll and stop” into “scroll, stop, and shop” and it’s using AI to make the whole journey feel almost effortless. The company has announced several new tools and enhancements designed to help brands guide people from discovery to purchase more effectively, while delivering more relevant and personalised experiences across its platforms.
Creators can now add product links more broadly on Instagram Reels, turning their content into shoppable moments. Businesses in 22 countries, including India, will soon be able to share their product catalogues with creators, opening up a new sales channel for brands and fresh monetisation opportunities for creators.
The Creator Marketplace has also been upgraded with enhanced target audience filtering, integrated with Ads Manager. This helps businesses quickly find creators who are a strong match for their goals. Campaigns using Partnership Ads deliver, on average, 19 per cent lower CPAs, 13 per cent higher click-through rates, and 71 per cent higher median brand lift.
Meta is expanding Reels Trending Ads inventory with new content categories including TV & Movies, Travel, Business, Finance & Investments. According to Meta’s analysis of 59 studies, Reels Trending Ads delivered an incremental 6.6 percentage point Ad Recall lift compared to control groups.
AI-Powered Shopping Enhancements
- Product Set Optimisation is now in testing, allowing retail media networks to promote specific products with detailed reporting. Early results show 17 per cent lower median seller cost per purchase.
- Product Showcase is being expanded so marketers can upload one image or video and let Meta’s AI automatically add relevant products as a carousel when it improves performance.
Meta is expanding its generative AI capabilities with:
- UGC-style videos featuring avatars and voiceovers
- Easier voiceover translation and text overlay translation in a single streamlined flow
- New tools to automatically turn product catalogues into dynamic video ads for Reels
Early testing of the Advantage+ creative video generation tool showed a 10 per cent increase in CTR and 8 per cent increase in CVR on average. Campaigns using catalog product video saw 20 per cent more conversions per dollar, while Reels placements with catalog product video delivered 33 per cent higher incremental conversions.
Industry voices welcomed the updates. Vikas Chawla of Social Beat called Partnership Ads a “flywheel” for authentic content that converts. Niti Kumar of Spark Foundry and Sadhvi Dhawan of Blink Digital highlighted the power of Reels Trending Ads for cultural relevance and guaranteed share of voice. Ramasish Bhowmik of Adbuffs noted that Meta’s GenAI tools are giving teams a clear competitive edge.
In a world where attention is fleeting but shopping intent can spark in seconds, Meta is betting that smarter AI will help brands turn discovery into decisions faster than ever. The message is clear: the future of advertising isn’t just about reaching people, it’s about reaching them at exactly the right moment, with exactly the right product.
