iWorld
Counting eyes, not just screens: Nielsen’s new pitch
MUMBAI: When it comes to audience measurement, India might finally be ready to stop playing hide and seek. At the 9th edition of Vidnet 2025, Hemant Kewalya, India lead for audience measurement at Nielsen, made a spirited case for a tech-driven, unified system that can track today’s endlessly distracted viewers without missing a beat.
Kewalya opened with a reminder of how far the media has travelled. From newspapers to radio, television to mobile, and now a frenzy of OTT, digital and connected TV, the country’s content diet has exploded. Audiences hop from platform to platform faster than a thumb scroll, and Kewalya noted that while media has evolved, measurement has not kept pace. Instead, it has splintered into siloed systems that fail to tell a complete story.
He pointed out that traditional surveys, TV panels and digital analytics each work in isolation. Mobile data, connected TV signals and digital metrics still refuse to sit together at the same table, resulting in what he called an incomplete view of reach. Brands, therefore, rely on fragmented data while trying to optimise campaigns worth millions.
Kewalya outlined Nielsen’s approach to unifying this scattered information. The company now combines basic demographics, reach, frequency and impressions across devices and publishers in a single view. Marketers can also track brand lift, sales impact and creative attention to understand not just how many people were exposed to a campaign but whether it worked.
Future plans include a larger panel base, more app level detail and stronger links between different devices. Kewalya noted that privacy, data access and industry cooperation remain challenges, but said a unified system is essential as consumers rapidly shift between screens.
He closed by saying that while India has plenty of data, the real task is connecting it so that the industry can make clearer decisions.
iWorld
Samay Raina returns with Still Alive, confronts 2025 controversy in bold comeback special
Comeback set tackles controversy, blending humour with raw storytelling
MUMBAI: Samay Raina is set to release his new stand-up comedy special, Still Alive, on YouTube on April 7, 2026, marking a high-profile return following a turbulent year.
The trailer for the special dropped on April 5, offering a glimpse into what Raina describes as a raw and unfiltered set that leans as much on honesty as it does on humour.
Positioned as a comeback of sorts, Still Alive draws heavily from the controversy surrounding his show India’s Got Latent in early 2025. The episode led to legal trouble, multiple FIRs, and a lengthy six-hour interrogation by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, placing the comedian at the centre of intense public scrutiny.
Rather than sidestep the episode, Raina leans into it. The special reflects on the fallout and his personal journey through it, blending observational comedy with moments of emotional candour. Early audience feedback from live performances suggests the tone is less about rapid-fire punchlines and more about storytelling with bite.
The special was filmed during his global Still Alive & Unfiltered tour, which ran from August 2025 to early 2026. The tour saw Raina perform across major international venues, including the Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York, a milestone that places him among the youngest Indian comedians to take that stage.
The title itself signals resilience. “Still Alive” is a nod to navigating both legal and public backlash while choosing to remain unapologetically authentic, a theme that appears to anchor the set.
With the special set to premiere online, all eyes are now on how audiences respond to a performance that promises equal parts reflection and wit. For Raina, the message is clear. He is not just back, he is ready to be heard on his own terms.
