Ashok Das nominated president of MRSI

Ashok Das, the managing director of Hansa Research, has been recently elected as the president of MRSI (Market Research Society of India).

Talking to afaqs!, Das says, "As the president of MRSI, I will not only represent the industry, but expand the membership of new players (brands) who have entered India." He adds that MRSI will also focus on conducting training programmes for researchers and quality improvement.

Also the managing director of Hansa|GCR Custom Research USA, Das is an IIT and IIM alumnus, and has worked with ORG-MARG Research in India for 14 years as president, customised and media research.

He is credited with initiating studies including INTAM (Indian National Television Audience Measurement), the IRS (Indian Readership Survey), and the HPI (Household Premiumness Index), a consumer classification system that has been welcomed as the superior way of classifying Indian consumers.

MRSI is an autonomous market research body, formed by a fraternity of research suppliers and users spread across India. Established in January 1988, the MRSI aims to maintain standards of excellence in the market research industry.

The MRSI was also responsible for creating the first socio-economic classification system of India -- the SEC system, which provided the basis for classifying urban Indian consumers. The society is managed by a six-member managing committee.