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Media gets a reality check as Kantar maps India’s new viewing habits
MUMBAI: In a world where content is king and attention spans are currency, India’s media playbook is in desperate need of an update and Kantar just handed the industry a fresh set of rules. With the launch of Media Compass, the insights giant has dropped a data bomb, charting a 360-degree view of how Indians are consuming media across TV, print, digital, and even influencer content in 2025.
The numbers are as revealing as they are disruptive. Based on a rolling sample of 87,000 consumers with quarterly reporting, Media Compass throws a spotlight on emerging behaviours that marketers can no longer afford to ignore. For starters, a staggering 23 per cent of Indians are now digital-only, they’re online but off the TV grid entirely. Even more surprising: 74 per cent of these digital-only users live in rural India, upending the long-held urban-tech stereotype.
While 58 per cent of Indians still watch linear TV every month, the small screen’s dominance is being nibbled away at by the rise of Connected TV (CTV). With 35 million new viewers, CTV has quietly become a premium battleground, especially among NCCS A households and younger male audiences. In fact, CTV viewership now splits evenly between urban and rural India, proving that the shift is not just a metro phenomenon.
Age remains a clear divider. Viewers aged 15–34 are tuning in to digital (55 per cent), OTT (55 per cent), and social media (57 per cent), while the 45 plus demographic still prefers the comfort of linear TV (44 per cent). Meanwhile, both CTV and digital-only audiences skew 57 per cent male, signalling a need for more inclusive programming and targeting.
Perhaps the most quietly revolutionary insight? Digital is not just democratising entertainment, it’s also redrawing the socio-economic map. Digital-only consumption is over-indexed among lower NCCS groups, showing that smartphones and cheap data are bridging access gaps once thought insurmountable.
“We’ve gone nearly five years without a formal, holistic view of Indian media consumption,” said Kantar director of specialist businesses and insights division for South Asia Puneet Avasthi. “Media Compass is here to fix that. In a fractured landscape, we’re giving advertisers the clarity and precision they’ve been craving.”
With quarterly updates and multi-platform granularity including cross-media interactions and influencer reach Media Compass doesn’t just raise the bar for media research in India. It torches the old one.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
