Market Research Companies in India

Key figures for researchers

Population

1.46 billion (2025 estimate); 1.21 billion at the 2011 census¹

Urban / rural population

377 million / 834 million (2011 census)²

Under 15 / 60 and over

24.2% / 9.7% (2023)³

Main mother tongues

Hindi 43.6%, Bengali 8.0%, Marathi 6.9%, Telugu 6.7%, Tamil 5.7% (2011)⁴

Languages

22 scheduled languages; 270 mother tongues with 10,000+ speakers⁴

Literacy rate (age 7+)

80.9%: 88.9% urban, 77.5% rural (2023–24)⁵

Internet users

70.0% of individuals (2025)⁶

Mobile subscriptions

88.7 per 100 people; rural telephone density 60.5% (March 2026)⁷

GDP per capita

about US$2,700 (2025)⁸

Research guide

Research landscape

Research agencies are concentrated in the main business hubs: Mumbai, Delhi NCR (including Gurugram and Noida) and Bengaluru, followed by Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune. Local independent agencies work alongside offices of international research networks, and many agencies run field teams or partner networks across several states.

For socio-economic targeting, the industry has long used the NCCS (New Consumer Classification System, launched in 2009 by MRSI and MRUC), based on the education of the chief wage earner and the number of consumer durables owned, and valid for both urban and rural India. In 2024 MRSI introduced ISEC, a 12-tier system based on the occupation of the chief earner and the education of the most educated male and female adults: check with your agency which classification is used for quotas and reporting.

Languages and fieldwork

India has 22 scheduled languages and 270 mother tongues spoken by at least 10,000 people. Hindi is the mother tongue of 43.6% of the population, followed by Bengali (8.0%), Marathi (6.9%), Telugu (6.7%) and Tamil (5.7%). A national questionnaire usually needs several translations (often Hindi plus the main regional languages of the states covered), with interviewers who speak the local language. English is widely used in business, which makes it a common language for B2B and executive interviews.

At the 2011 census, 834 million people lived in rural areas against 377 million in urban areas, so a nationally representative sample needs rural fieldwork. Literacy reaches 80.9% (age 7 and over) but only 77.5% in rural areas and 74.6% among women: self-completion questionnaires do not reach the whole population. A new census is under way, with population enumeration planned around 1 March 2027; until its results are published, sample frames rely on 2011 data and official estimates.

Which methods work

70.0% of individuals use the internet and there are about 1.09 billion internet subscriptions. Online surveys and telephone interviews (CATI) work well for urban, younger and educated targets, and for B2B. Access is uneven: telephone density is 151% in urban areas but 60.5% in rural areas.

For the general population, including rural areas, women and older people, face-to-face interviews (CAPI) with quotas by state, town class, area type, socio-economic class, age and gender remain the reference. Online panels tend to over-represent urban, English-speaking and educated respondents: ask the agency how the panel is recruited and weighted. Focus groups are usually held in the large cities, in dedicated rooms or in respondents’ homes for some targets.

Timing

The festival season, from around September to November, slows fieldwork and changes consumption patterns: Navratri and Durga Puja, Dussehra and above all Diwali (late October or November: 8 November in 2026, 29 October in 2027). Dates follow the lunar calendar and vary every year and between states; regional festivals such as Pongal, Onam or Holi also matter locally.

The southwest monsoon (June to September) can disrupt face-to-face fieldwork, especially in rural areas, through heavy rain and flooding. For B2B studies, also allow for the financial year closing at the end of March, when decision makers are busy.

Data protection

Personal data is governed by the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act). Its implementing DPDP Rules, 2025 were notified in November 2025 with an 18-month phased timeline: the Data Protection Board provisions apply already, consent manager registration from November 2026, and the main obligations (consent, notices, security, breach notification, children’s data, individual rights) from May 2027.

Consent must be free, specific, informed, unconditional and unambiguous, with a clear and plain notice that respondents can read in English or in one of the 22 scheduled languages. Surveys of anyone under 18 require verifiable consent from a parent or guardian. Penalties can reach ₹250 crore. Ask your agency how respondents are informed, how consent is recorded and how the data will be transferred to you.

Working with a local agency

• Share a clear brief: objectives, target, sample size, states and town classes, method, languages and deadline.
• Agree on the socio-economic classification (NCCS or ISEC) and the quota structure before fieldwork starts.
• Ask who does the fieldwork: own interviewers or subcontractors, and in which states and languages.
• Ask how questionnaires are translated and checked (back-translation, pilot interviews in each language).
• Ask about quality control: back-checks, GPS or audio checks for face-to-face interviews, supervision of CATI calls.
• Compare several proposals: you can send one request to up to 5 companies from this page.