MAM
TRAI seeks to define TV ratings guidelines
NEW DELHI: Even as the government-mandated Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) has been working on getting its act together, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today expressed the need for urgency in finalising its regulations for TV ratings agency accreditation. In an Open House today on its consultation paper on “Guidelines/Accreditation Mechanism for Television Rating Agencies in India,” TRAI officials indicated that the system of rating agencies could be streamlined only through proper guidelines mandated by it.
TRAI chairman Rahul Khullar, Principal Advisor (Broadcasting and Media), and other officials were present at the open house attended by about 30 stakeholders, including News Broadcasters’ Association head K.V.L, Narayan Rao, BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta, Paritosh Joshi, Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) secretary general Shailesh Shah, among others.
The stakeholders were generally in favour of a self-regulated mechanism through BARC which has committed to roll out TV ratings by Q2 2014.
Most of the attendees agreed that TAM had failed in its task and any agency that takes over this work should be able to give a more rational coverage of viewership.
Khullar at the meeting candidly said that even if BARC is progressing, he had been mandated by the ministry of information & broadcasting to start the consultative process on TV ratings which he was doing. He also said it was not clear who would be the regulating agency for the TV rating process in India: TRAI, I&B minsitry, or industry itself.
Some participants of the Open House however expressed their fears that it is quite likely that TRAI will end up being the regulatory agency for the same.
In an effort to put an end to controversies generated by TRPs, TRAI had on 17 April issued a paper to deal with issues such as establishing an accreditation mechanism for TV rating agencies and methodology of audience measurement to ensure transparency and accountability in the rating system.
The consultation paper on “Guidelines/Accreditation Mechanism for Television Rating Agencies in India” also seeks to get the views of stakeholders on sample size; secrecy of sample homes; cross holding between rating agencies and their users; complaint redressal; sale and use of ratings; disclosure and reporting requirement; competition in rating services; and audit.
The consultation paper has been issued at the behest of the I&B ministry, which had earlier received a report from the Amit Mitra Committee on the subject. IBF has since been working to set up BARC as an alternative to TAM.
TRAI officials said incorrect ratings will lead to production of content which may not be really popular while good content and programmes may be left out. Therefore, there is a need to have an accurate measurement and representative television ratings for programmes.
Brands
Big Bowl appoints Lyxel & Flamingo as social and media partner
QSR brand eyes next growth phase after crossing Rs 100 crore ARR milestone
MUMBAI: Big Bowl, one of India’s largest bowl-format quick service restaurant brands from Lenexis Foodworks, has appointed Lyxel & Flamingo (L&F) as its social and media partner as it prepares for its next phase of growth.
The partnership comes after the brand crossed the Rs 100 crore annual recurring revenue milestone in 2025 and aims to help accelerate its journey towards Rs 150 crore ARR in its fifth year since launch.
Big Bowl currently operates more than 250 kitchens across 50 cities and has emerged as a major player in India’s organised bowl-format food segment. Built around hearty portions and delivery-first convenience, the brand offers a wide mix of Indian, Chinese and fusion bowls designed for quick, affordable and portable consumption.
As urban consumers increasingly gravitate towards easy-to-carry and value-driven meal formats, the company sees the bowl category as a scalable format aligned with modern eating habits.
With the appointment of Lyxel & Flamingo, Big Bowl plans to consolidate its social media and digital media operations under a single partner. The move is intended to sharpen its digital reach, strengthen youth-focused storytelling and improve performance marketing outcomes.
Lyxel & Flamingo, one of India’s largest independent digital-first agencies, manages more than 350 brands and oversees advertising spends exceeding $100 million across its network.
Under the mandate, the agency will handle Big Bowl’s social media strategy, content development, digital performance marketing, media planning and buying, as well as campaign amplification across platforms.
Commenting on the partnership, Lenexis Foodworks founder and director Aayush Madhusudan Agrawal said, “Big Bowl has scaled rapidly to cross Rs 100 crore ARR and established itself as one of the largest bowl-format brands in the country. As a delivery-first, digitally native brand, our next phase of growth will be driven by sharper performance systems and stronger brand storytelling. Consolidating social and media with Lyxel & Flamingo allows us to integrate data, creativity and media precision as we scale towards our next revenue milestone.”
Lenexis Foodworks marketing head Vikas Iyer, added that the delivery-led category requires content, media and performance marketing to work closely together.
“With Lyxel & Flamingo, we aim to build a sharper social voice, stronger acquisition systems and measurable impact, ensuring the brand scales not just in presence but also in precision,” he said.
Lyxel & Flamingo chief executive officer Dev Batra, said the agency will combine data-driven marketing with creative storytelling to support Big Bowl’s growth. “Big Bowl brings the flavour, and L&F brings the fire. Our strategy combines data-led performance with engaging storytelling to help build a strong digital brand presence while delivering measurable business results,” he said.
With this partnership, Big Bowl is looking to strengthen its position as a digitally driven QSR brand, blending brand-building with performance marketing as it scales within India’s rapidly growing organised food delivery market.
