MRSI elects Datamatics’ Sandeep Arora as new President

The Market Research Society of India (MRSI) elected its new Managing Committee for 2019-2021 at its 31st AGM, held in Mumbai on June 21, 2019. The newly elected Managing Committee, at its first meeting, elected Sandeep Arora, Executive Vice President and Global Head – Research & Analytics Solutions, Datamatics Global Services, as the new MRSI President. 

Arora has been championing the cause of global and local Research and Insights industry through his active associations with MRSI and ESOMAR for over a decade. On professional front, Arora has been spearheading multiple responsibilities at the leading technology and consulting firm, Datamatics Global Services for the last 12 years. Prior to that, he has had career associations with Nielsen, Kantar (TNS and IMRB), Mahindra & Mahindra and Times of India (BCCL) across Indian and international markets. 

MRSI also welcomed the newly elected office bearers – HUL’s Manish Makhijani and Kantar Analytics’ Sunder Muthuraman as Vice Presidents; The Nielsen Company’s Sanjay Pal as the Secretary and Datawise Management’s K Vinay Kumar as the Treasurer. 

MRSI thanked its outgoing President, Pravin Shekar, Chairman & CEO at KREA, Chennai for guiding the activities of the society for the last 2 years. 

The 31st AGM of MRSI witnessed a new wave, discussing past year’s achievements and how the future of Indian market research industry and MRSI are going to be even grander. 

The elected members of the new Managing Committee are: 

• Ankit Dhanuka, Robas Research;
• Ashutosh Singh, Internet Research Bureau;
• Ashwani Kukreja, Tata Sky;
• Derrick Gray, BARC;
• K Vinay Kumar, Datawise Management;
• Manish Makhijani, Hindustan Unilever;
• N.P Sathyamurthy, MRUC;
• Paru Minocha, Kantar IMRB,
• Praveen Nijhara, Hansa Research;
• Pravin Shekar, Krea;
• Priya Lobo, Ormax;
• Rashesh Rawal, Azure Knowledge;
• Sandeep Arora, Datamatics;
• Sanjay Pal, The Nielsen Company;
• Saurin Shah, Godrej CPL;
• Shaveta Bhardwaj, Kantar Millward Brown;
• Shelley Sengupta, Diageo;
• Sunder Muthuraman, Kantar Analytics;
• Tomson J Thundathil, The Malayala Manorama; and
• Vivek Gupta, Ipsos.

Commenting on his election as the new President, Sandeep Arora said, “These are the most interesting times for Research and Insights industry. Never before was the need for consumer-behaviour led data scientists greater than today, to accurately provide holistic business foresights. There are a few legacy-led challenges which are slowing us from realising full potential of this digital wave and I am confident that with due focus and patience, we will overcome those very soon!” 

Welcoming the new Managing Committee and the office bearers, Pravin Shekar said, “It’s great to see active participation from members, to volunteer and contribute in the Managing Committee and take our association forward. The new President, Sandeep Arora, clearly laid out the plans for the next couple of years, building on existing activities as well adding on newer initiatives, including greater government coordination. I wish him and our team all the very best.” 

Established by the fraternity of researchers in India in 1988, the Market Research Society of India (MRSI) is a not for profit autonomous body. MRSI works with ESOMAR to bring Indian industry’s voice to the global forum. It regularly organises conferences, events, workshops and seminars, and webinars to boost innovation in the industry and showcase path breaking work being done to the larger marketing fraternity.