MAM
Ipsos launches AI-powered video ad evaluation tool in India
MUMBAI: Global market research giant Ipsos has unveiled Creative|Spark AI, a cutting-edge advertising evaluation solution that delivers insights on video advertisements within minutes, hitting the Indian market today alongside 23 other countries.
The revolutionary tool combines human intelligence with artificial intelligence to predict viewer reactions to advertisements across linear TV, YouTube and social media platforms. Built on Ipsos’ existing Creative|Spark assessment framework and trained on 18,000 human response cases from the past five years, the solution operates on the company’s secure Gen AI platform, Ipsos Facto.
“This is a game-changer for advertisers juggling tight budgets and pressing deadlines,” said Shaun Dix, Ipsos’ global leader of creative excellence. “Particularly with the enormous spend flowing into social media advertising, brands can now evaluate single ads or hundreds of creatives in as little as 15 minutes.”
Ipsos India head brand health tracking and creative excellence Shalini Sinha emphasised the tool’s significance for the Indian market: “Creative|Spark AI offers an efficient, budget-friendly solution that’s particularly valuable for sectors not yet fully embracing creative assessment but eager for actionable insights.”
The platform doesn’t simply analyse advertisements—it provides predictive insights at “a fraction of the cost of consumer surveys,” according to Ipsos India creative excellence and creative/Spark AI head Shrutika More.
She highlighted the tool’s ability to help marketers “optimize testing budgets, increase campaign ROI, and deliver results at the speed and scale demanded by today’s market.”
The solution is immediately available in five Asia-Pacific markets—Australia, India, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam—as either a self-service option on Ipsos Digital or through full-service engagement with Ipsos teams. The company plans to roll out the tool across additional markets throughout 2025.
For India’s rapidly evolving advertising landscape, this AI-powered solution promises to deliver what many marketers have long sought: lightning-fast creative assessment with the precision of human insight at scale.
Brands
Ola Electric revenue falls, losses continue in December quarter
Company cuts expenses and seeks fresh funds as sales slow and regulators raise questions.
MUMBAI: It seems Ola Electric is currently navigating a bit of a patchy connection, and we are not just talking about a dropped Bluetooth sync on the dashboard. The electric vehicle (EV) giant’s latest financial results for the quarter ended 31 December 2025 have hit the wires, and the numbers are looking more short circuit than supercharged.
The company’s consolidated revenue from operations for the December quarter came in at Rs 470 crore, a significant deceleration from the Rs 690 crore recorded in the preceding quarter. The comparison to the same period last year is even more stark, when revenue stood at a much loftier Rs 1,045 crore. Despite a small recharge of Rs 18 crore from previously unclaimed government subsidies under the EMP5-2024 and PM E-Drive schemes, the overall income trajectory has clearly lost its torque.
Total income for the quarter stood at Rs 504 crore, while the bottom line remained firmly in the red, with a quarterly loss of Rs 487 crore. For the nine-month period ending December 2025, the total accumulated loss has now ballooned to a staggering Rs 1,333 crore.
In an effort to keep the wheels from falling off, Ola has been aggressively downshifting its expenditure. Total expenses for the quarter were slashed to Rs 741 crore, a massive drop from the Rs 1,505 crore spent during the same quarter the previous year.
This belt-tightening suggests a pivot toward leaner operations as the company attempts to find a sustainable cruising speed. However, even with these deep cuts, the going concern tag is being sustained largely by Rs 1,503 crore in remaining IPO proceeds, along with a fresh shareholder approval to raise another Rs 1,500 crore through equity or convertible securities.
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) and SEBI have also been examining the matter closely, questioning why Ola’s press claims did not align with official Vahan portal data. The company had earlier announced 25,000 units sold in February 2025, but has now clarified to regulators that this figure referred to vehicle bookings rather than final registrations. Under Ola’s accounting policy, a sale is recognised only once the scooter is delivered and registered. Management maintains that this clarification will not have a material impact on the financials, although it has certainly raised eyebrows in the market.
The group’s cash flow situation remains under pressure. For the nine months ended 31 December 2025, Ola reported a negative cash flow from operations of Rs 866 crore, attributing it primarily to lower-than-expected growth in sales volume.
Adding to the complexity are the new Labour Codes. The company has already factored in an additional Rs 5.06 crore in liabilities due to changes in wage definitions affecting gratuity. Meanwhile, the Cell segment, which represents Ola’s major bet on battery manufacturing, is still at an early stage. It contributed just Rs 9 crore to revenue, compared to Rs 407 crore from the automotive segment.
As Ola attempts to navigate this financial fog, the message is clear: the road to an electric future is paved with expensive ambitions. For now, the company is applying the brakes to avoid a deeper skid.
