Brands
India’s research and insights industry hits Rs 29,008 crore in FY25
MUMBAI: India’s research and insights industry expanded to Rs 29,008 crore in FY2025, growing 10.9 per cent year-on-year, as analytics-led services and rising international demand pushed the sector into a more mature, diversified phase.
According to the Market Research Society of India (MSRI), the industry rose from Rs 26,300 crore in FY2024 and is expected to reach about Rs 32,500 crore in FY2026, implying growth of 10–12 per cent despite global economic uncertainty.
Analytics remained the largest and fastest-growing segment, accounting for nearly 60 per cent of the market. The segment grew 14 per cent in FY2025, driven largely by overseas clients, who contributed more than 90 per cent of demand. Increased use of predictive modelling, customer lifetime value analysis and econometrics underpinned the expansion, with agentic AI enabling real-time, autonomous insights.
Custom market research grew 8 per cent, buoyed by demand for advanced consumer experience tools such as facial coding, eye tracking and emotional response measurement. Syndicated research rose 6 per cent, aided by a modest rebound in manufacturing-led demand and greater outsourcing to India-based captive research centres, though media measurement continues to face disruption as audiences shift to digital and streaming platforms.
TAM Media Research chief growth and partnerships officer and MSRI president Nitin Kamat, said growth is now being driven by value rather than volume, with firms moving from traditional data delivery to integrated, AI-enabled insight systems.
MRSI director general Mitali Chowhan, said steady double-digit growth reflects rising trust in data-led decision-making across sectors, even amid global volatility.
Looking ahead, mrsi expects continued momentum in FY2026, led by international mandates, deeper adoption of advanced analytics, and growing domestic demand for hyperlocal insights across both consumer and B2B sectors.
Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
