MAM
Andre Purushottam is MRUC chairman
MUMBAI: Mahindra & Mahindra‘s Andre Purushottam has taken over from TV Today CEO G Krishnan as Media Research Users Council (MRUC) chairman.
Prior to this, The Mumbai Mantra (Mahindra & Mahindra‘s entertainment arm) CEO was MRUC vice chairman.
Purushottam, who got the unanimous support of the board, will have the tough task of making MRUC “more relevant” and “more representative” of the advertising, media and marketing industry. Stepping into the vice chairman‘s position, meanwhile, is Lokmat Group director Bharat Kapadia. With the new elections, the most urgent mandate of the governing council now will be to achieve a single currency for the readership survey. Says Purushottam, “Our immediate agenda will be to lead to a successful merger of the IRS and NRS. We will also look at ensuring that across media, be it internet, radio and out-of-home, far more robust research will come out that will be cost effective and useful for the industry. Our approach will be to engage all stakeholders to contribute both their ideas and their money to make this possible.” Earlier in August, the MRUC and National Readership Studies Council (NRSC) had passed the relevant resolutions at their respective Governing Council meetings to support the Indian Readership Survey (IRS) and the National Readership Survey (NRS) merger that could set the tone for a single currency in India. MRUC has been set up by agencies, advertisers and media houses to determine and conduct research required for the assessment of various media for advertising. NRSC, on the other hand, has been constituted by INS, AAAI and ABC for the purpose of carrying out readership surveys in India.
MAM
BLS International launches #VisaReady campaign to guide applicants
Initiative targets visa myths, delays and rejections with practical guidance
MUMBAI: Visa woes may soon meet their match because paperwork, it seems, is finally getting a user manual. BLS International has rolled out a new awareness drive, #VisaReadyWithBLSInternational, aimed at simplifying the often confusing visa application process and reducing delays caused by misinformation and incomplete documentation. The campaign, led across social media platforms, zeroes in on a long-standing pain point for travellers: lack of clarity around procedures, timelines and requirements. By offering step-by-step guidance, documentation checklists and clear Dos and Don’ts, the initiative attempts to turn what is typically a stressful process into a more predictable one.
At its core, the campaign also seeks to bust common myths that frequently derail applications issues that often lead to avoidable rejections or last-minute complications. The idea is to equip applicants with practical, actionable insights so they can plan better and submit stronger applications within expected timelines.
The push will not remain limited to digital channels. BLS International plans to extend the initiative across its Visa Application Centres globally, reinforcing awareness at key touchpoints where applicants engage with the process.
BLS International joint managing director Shikhar Aggarwal framed the campaign as more than a communication exercise, emphasising the company’s attempt to embed guidance and preparedness into every stage of the applicant journey.
Operating in over 70 countries and working with more than 46 client governments including embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions, the company has built a sizeable footprint in visa and consular services. With this campaign, it is now leaning into education as much as execution, signalling that in the world of visas, clarity might just be the new currency.
