Mumbai: Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India has appointed Nakul Chopra as the chief executive officer of the TV audience measurement agency, effective 25 August. Chopra succeeds Sunil Lulla, who is moving on from the organisation to pursue his ambition as an entrepreneur.
Chopra joined the BARC India Board in 2016 and was subsequently appointed the chairman of the company from 2018 to 2019. In January 2020, he was appointed a member of its Oversight Committee.
“A marketing and media veteran of nearly four decades, Chopra brings with him a rich repertoire of experience in financial & general management, process management as well as navigating the corporate legal environment,” said BARC India in a media statement. “He has been an integral part of the Advertising and Media fraternity, and BARC India will benefit from his wealth of knowledge and experience of over four decades.”
On his new role, Chopra said,“I have had the benefit of a long association with BARC. The organisation has grown in measure and strength. TV continues to be the definitive screen of the Indian home – its strong reach and connect continues to elicit the trust of advertisers. I look forward to working with the very capable BARC team in further building on TV measurement and continuing the journey toward screen agnostic measurement."
He has also held the position of CEO, India & South Asia, Publicis Worldwide, from 2004-17. Prior to that he served as EVP, Trikaya Grey Advertising from 1989 to 1995. Chopra has also been the President, Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) from Aug 2016 – July 2018.
Meanwhile, the outgoing CEO, Sunil Lulla said he is looking forward to embarking upon an entrepreneurial journey after four decades of an exciting career in professional services. “I am privileged to have been able to contribute to BARC and this has been possible only because of the excellent team of professionals, a very supportive Board and the gold standard of Board-appointed committees. I wish Nakul Chopra all the success,” said Lulla, who had taken over the reins at the TV measurement company from Partho Dasgupta in 2019.
BARC India chairman, Punit Goenka said, “I thank Sunil for his stewardship of BARC and his efforts to enhance the strength of the BARC currency. I am very happy to welcome Nakul as the natural and unanimous choice of the Board for the continuing journey of adding robustness to the BARC currency and strengthening the governance of the world’s largest television audience measurement body”.