Mumbai: JioStar CEO Kevin Vaz on Tuesday urged the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to immediately restore the release of BARC audience ratings, saying the absence of credible and verifiable audience data was creating uncertainty for broadcasters, advertisers and agencies, particularly ahead of the festive season.

Speaking at the inaugural session of FICCI FRAMES 2026, Vaz said reliable audience measurement was essential for brands to plan campaigns and reach consumers efficiently.

“At the same time, the industry strongly urges the Ministry to restore the release of BARC audience ratings immediately. The absence of credible, verifiable audience data is creating uncertainty for broadcasters, advertisers and agencies, particularly during the crucial festive season,” Vaz said.

“Reliable measurement is essential for brands to plan campaigns and reach audiences efficiently,” he added.

Vaz also called for a tangible roadmap to reduce the regulatory burden and cost of linear broadcasting, arguing that the medium needs to evolve alongside digital platforms and changing consumer behaviour.

“The need for forbearance has long been an ask from the broadcasting sector, because innovation needs room to evolve,” Vaz said.

“A tangible roadmap is needed to remove the regulatory burden and cost of linear broadcasting, allowing it to evolve alongside digital and giving consumers greater choice in how, where and on which screen they consume content,” he added.

Vaz welcomed the government’s decision to remove the 10+2 advertising cap, describing it as “an important step towards a regulatory framework that reflects the changing realities of linear broadcasting and the wider media landscape.”

His comments came against the backdrop of rapid changes in India’s media consumption, with television, streaming, mobile and connected TV increasingly operating as part of a converging ecosystem.

Vaz said India’s media and entertainment industry grew 9% in 2025 to ₹2.78 lakh crore, with digital crossing ₹1.1 lakh crore and live events growing 47%.

He said the industry was moving from an environment where distribution was the principal constraint to one where consumer attention had become the scarce resource.

“Attention is the new currency, and in an era where content and ideas seem endless, the magic lies in creating something that makes the ‘thumb stop!’” Vaz said.

He highlighted connected TV as an important part of this transition, citing industry estimates that put India’s CTV universe at more than 200 million viewers, with more than 80% of CTV viewing shared with family or friends.

“The opportunity is not to choose between screens, but to give audiences the freedom to move seamlessly across screens, while giving the industry better ways to understand and serve those audiences,” Vaz said.

Vaz also pointed to the emergence of new content formats and revenue streams. He said the micro-drama category was worth ₹650 crore in 2025 and was expected to grow at more than 50% annually by 2028. He cited JioStar’s entry into micro-drama through TADKA and its engagement with more than 50 production houses.

He also identified content commerce as an emerging value pool for the industry alongside advertising and subscriptions, citing JioHotstar’s initiatives during TATA IPL 2026 and the live stream of Dhurandhar The Revenge.

On artificial intelligence, Vaz said the technology was transforming production, storytelling, workflows, analytics and personalisation, but stressed the need for safeguards around copyright, consent, attribution and fair value for creators.

“The goal is not to slow innovation down but to ensure technology and creativity grow together,” he said.

Vaz concluded by saying the industry’s success in an age of infinite content should not be measured simply by the volume of content produced or the number of screens reached, but by the value and impact created for audiences, creators and businesses.