MRUCI STRENGTHENS LEADERSHIP AMID IRS REVIVAL

MRUCI has re-elected Vikram Sakhuja as Chairman and Dhruba Mukherjee as Vice Chairman, while appointing Kaacon Sethi as CEO and inducting four new board members. The leadership changes coincide with preparations to revive the Indian Readership Survey, aiming to establish a credible, cross-media measurement currency for India’s evolving media landscape.  

The Media Research Users Council India (MRUCI) has reaffirmed its leadership team with the re-election of Vikram Sakhuja, Partner and Director at Madison World, as Chairman, and Dhruba Mukherjee, CEO of ABP Pvt. Ltd., as Vice Chairman. The decision was taken at the council’s Board meeting following its 32nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 28 September 2026 at Hotel Sahara Star, Mumbai. The continuity in leadership underscores MRUCI’s commitment to stability as it embarks on the ambitious revival of the Indian Readership Survey (IRS), a benchmark for print and cross-media audience measurement.  

The AGM also marked a significant expansion of MRUCI’s Board of Governors, with the induction of four new members: Samudra Bhattacharya, CEO – Print and Radio, HT Media Ltd.; Janhavi Abhijit Pawar, Director, Sakal Media Pvt. Ltd.; Kartik Sharma, CEO, Omnicom Media India; and Navin Khemka, President, Client Solutions, WPP Media South Asia. Their inclusion brings diverse expertise across print, regional media, global advertising networks and client solutions, strengthening MRUCI’s ability to address the evolving needs of India’s media ecosystem.  

In a parallel development, MRUCI announced the appointment of Kaacon Sethi as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 8 October 2026. Sethi, a seasoned media professional with over three decades of experience spanning broadcasting, marketing and sales, fills a leadership position that had remained vacant for nearly six years. Her appointment is expected to provide operational momentum to MRUCI’s strategic initiatives, particularly the relaunch of the IRS.  

Speaking on the revival, Sakhuja emphasised that the new IRS would move beyond traditional reach metrics to incorporate trust, attention and digital consumption, thereby creating a common measurement currency for advertisers and publishers. He noted that the survey’s relaunch comes at a critical juncture for the Indian media industry, where cross-platform consumption patterns demand more nuanced measurement frameworks.  

Mukherjee, in his vote of thanks, described the IRS revival as a collective industry mission, acknowledging the contributions of MRUCI’s Board, Technical Committee and members. He stressed the importance of developing a credible, contemporary and cross-media currency to support balanced media planning and advertising decisions.  

The revival of the IRS is being closely watched by stakeholders across publishing, advertising and media, as measurement remains central to audience assessment and budget allocation. With Sakhuja and Mukherjee continuing at the helm, supported by an expanded board and a new CEO, MRUCI appears poised to deliver a robust framework that could redefine how India’s media industry evaluates readership and engagement in the digital age.