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.
Brands
Uidai partners with Google to help users locate Aadhaar centres
Verified Aadhaar centres to appear on Maps with services and access info
MUMBAI: Finding an Aadhaar centre may soon be as easy as finding your favourite café. In a move aimed at making public services more accessible, the Unique Identification Authority of India has partnered with Google to display authorised Aadhaar centres on Google Maps. The feature, expected to roll out in the coming months, will allow residents to locate verified centres quickly and confidently.
More than 60,000 Aadhaar centres, including state of the art Aadhaar Seva Kendras, will be mapped. When users search on Google Maps, they will be directed to authorised facilities rather than unverified listings, helping curb misinformation and confusion.
The listings will do more than drop a pin. Users will be able to see the nature of services offered at each centre, whether it is adult enrolment, child enrolment, or limited to address and mobile number updates. Details such as operating hours, parking availability and divyang friendly infrastructure will also be shown wherever applicable.
Uidai CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, said the collaboration is part of the authority’s continued effort to improve ease of living for Aadhaar holders by making authorised centres simpler and faster to navigate.
The partnership will deepen in its next phase, with Uidai using Google Business Profile to manage information and respond directly to public feedback. Looking ahead, the two organisations are also exploring the option of enabling appointment bookings through the Google Maps interface, potentially allowing residents to plan their visits with greater efficiency.
Google India country head, strategic partnerships Roli Agarwal, said integrating verified Aadhaar centres would help millions access trusted services with confidence, bringing essential government infrastructure closer to the people who need it most.
If all goes to plan, a routine Aadhaar update may soon begin not with a queue, but with a search bar.
