Centre for Voting Opinion & Trends in Election Research

What Centre for Voting Opinion & Trends in Election Research does

CVOTER News Services Pvt. Ltd. (Centre for Voting Opinion & Trends in Election Research) is a privately-held, founder-owned B2B stakeholder research and polling agency headquartered in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. Founded in 1993 by Yashwant Deshmukh, the firm operates a CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing) centre and field researcher network capable of conducting more than 100,000 interviews annually across all Indian states in eleven languages using RDD (Random Digit Dialling) and face-to-face methodologies. The company also maintains a proprietary VASE (Victims As Social Evaluators) research methodology specifically designed for conflict and disaster zones, achieving response rates above 80% compared to roughly 50% for standard field research in comparable environments.

The company's service portfolio spans six core lines: stakeholder research (political polling for media), market research for corporate clients, media consultancy (content outsourcing and election programming), socio-economic research partnerships with academic institutions and NGOs, qualitative consultancy, and public-private partnership projects with government bodies. Products include periodic Omnibus surveys, the CATI centre, online survey infrastructure, FGD (focus group discussion) capabilities, and the VASE methodology. Distribution is direct B2B engagement with no resellers or platform channels. Pricing is project-based with per-completed-interview billing for standard projects and daily fee structures for VASE deployments in transitional societies; non-responses and incomplete interviews are not charged to clients.

CVOTER's customer base spans nearly every major Indian television news channel and newspaper (Aaj Tak, ABP News, Republic TV, Zee News, India TV, Times Now, India Today, Times of India, Hindustan Times), international broadcasters and agencies (BBC, Reuters, Bloomberg), international organizations (World Bank, UN, UNICEF, EU, Transparency International, Red Cross), and Ivy League and international academic institutions (Yale, Stanford, Harvard, UC Berkeley, NYU, University of Minnesota, Columbia, Hebrew University, University of St. Gallen). The firm operates a wholly-owned CSR subsidiary, CVoter Foundation, which subsidizes academic research costs and supports training programs. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, the company is entirely founder-owned with no institutional investors, and headcount is stated as 51-100 with a core team of 26 experts plus a national trained field researcher base.

Name

Centre for Voting Opinion & Trends in Election Research

Legal name

Cvoter News Services Pvt Limited

Website

https://cvoterindia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CVOTER is an India-based B2B stakeholder research and polling agency founded in 1993, conducting opinion polls, exit polls, market research, and socio-economic studies for Indian media, international organizations, and academic institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Stakeholder Research and Opinion Polling Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910)

akta.pro primary industry

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

Keywords

• Opinion polling
• Stakeholder research
• Election research
• Market research services
• Media consultancy

Headquarters

HQ city

Noida

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Stakeholder Research (Polling for Media): Primary revenue stream from conducting opinion polls, exit polls, and tracking surveys for TV news channels and newspapers. Interviews are conducted on behalf of media clients who publish the findings.
2. Market Research: Custom market assessment, demand quantification, customer feedback, and brand image research for corporate and institutional clients across geographies and industries.
3. Media Consultancy: Content outsourcing, election programming setup, and turnkey solutions for print and electronic media clients including news agencies, TV channels, newspapers, magazines, and internet media.
4. Socio-Economic Research Partnerships with Academic Institutions: Research data and report production partnerships with universities, NGOs, and industry bodies. Revenue generated through research service fees, with partial subsidy via CVoter Foundation for strictly academic projects.
5. Qualitative Consultancy: Niche political and cultural analysis consultancy drawing on a network of experienced political analysts and local consultants.
6. Public-Private Partnership Projects: Engagement with government bodies in sectors such as education, resource mapping, governance surveys, independent evaluation, and policy assessment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CVoter is a stakeholder research and opinion polling agency that conducts opinion polls, exit polls, and tracking surveys for media clients (TV news channels and newspapers), delivers socio-economic and academic research data to universities and international organizations, and provides media consultancy and public-private partnership research services. It operates a state-of-the-art CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing) centre, conducts over 100,000 interviews annually across all Indian states in eleven languages, and deploys the proprietary VASE methodology for research in conflict and disaster zones.

Product overview

CVoter operates as a multi-service stakeholder research and consultancy organization offering a portfolio of research services. The core offerings include Stakeholder Research (with periodic Omnibus surveys and a state-of-the-art CATI center), Market Research, Media Consultancy, Socio-Economic Research, Qualitative Consultancy, and Public Private Partnerships. The portfolio also includes CVoter Foundation (CSR initiative for academic research subsidies) and Project VASE (specialized research methodology for conflict and disaster zones). All services are delivered by a 26-member core team of experts complemented by field researchers across South Asia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CVoter Foundation: CSR initiative that supports training modules, workshops, and subsidized academic and institutional research activities, particularly for universities and non-commercial research.

Products and services

• Stakeholder Research (Polling for Media)
• Market Research
• Media Consultancy
• Socio-Economic Research
• Qualitative Consultancy
• Public-Private Partnership Projects
• CVoter Foundation (CSR Initiative)
• Project VASE (Victims As Social Evaluators)

Quantifiable outcome

• 100,000+ interviews conducted annually across all Indian states in eleven languages
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers39 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

30 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Yale UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing academic research partnership. CVoter conducted the Yale-CVoter Climate Survey (published October 2022), deliberative polling, and multiple academic research collaborations. Yale-CVoter survey on coal-to-clean energy transition (December 2025–February 2026) surveyed 5,427 adults nationally.
• Stanford UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst deliberative polling conducted in India by CVoter for Stanford University as part of a 32-country forum. Also collaborated on landowner surveys in the Hindi belt, nuclear arms survey for Wabash College and Claremont McKenna College, and multiple academic research projects.
• University of California, BerkeleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCATI survey research collaboration with UC Berkeley. CVoter's state-of-the-art CATI centre supports academic research projects from the institution.
• New York UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCATI survey research collaboration. NYU utilizes CVoter's telephone interviewing infrastructure for academic research projects.
• University of MinnesotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research collaboration via CVoter's CATI centre. Also cited as coordinator of academic research programs for ISSP, Win Gallup, WVS, Transparency International, World Well Being Index, and Globescan.
• Columbia UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCATI survey research collaboration with CVoter for academic projects.
• Harvard UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration including climate shocks surveys conducted jointly with Boston University. Harvard researchers partnered with CVoter for studies on climate change and its impact on women.
• WAPOR (World Association of Public Opinion Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional membership organization in public opinion research. CVoter's founder is President Elect of WAPOR Asia and Life Member. CVoter maintains active participation in WAPOR conferences and standards (WAPOR/ESOMAR code of conduct referenced for survey quality).
• ISSP (International Social Survey Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational comparative survey program. CVoter's founder serves as Principal Investigator (PI) for ISSP. CVoter coordinates primary research in India for ISSP as part of global survey exercises.
• WVS (World Values Survey)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal survey of values and social attitudes. CVoter's founder serves as Principal Investigator for WVS. CVoter conducted WVS Wave 6 face-to-face surveys in India.
• WWWi (World Well Being Index)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal well-being measurement initiative. CVoter's founder serves as PI for WWBi. CVoter coordinates primary research in India.
• GlobescanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research consultancy. Listed as a profiled subscriber using CVoter's FGD and online surveys. Collaboration on multi-country polling projects.
• BloombergminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as profiled subscriber using CVoter's online survey platform. Bloomberg accesses CVoter's polling and research data for market intelligence.
• Hebrew University (Israel)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partnership. Hebrew University is listed as a profiled subscriber using CVoter's online survey services.
• FicciminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry. Listed as a profiled subscriber using CVoter's online survey platform.
• The World BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational financial institution. CVoter's research data is used for policy formation by World Bank. CVoter has also worked on climate shocks surveys and socio-economic studies with World Bank involvement.
• BBCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor international broadcaster. BBC is listed as a profiled subscriber using CVoter's FGD surveys and expert commentary sourcing. CVoter's founder provides expert comments regularly to BBC.
• ReutersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational news agency. Listed as FGD survey subscriber. CVoter's founder provides expert commentary to Reuters on Indian and South Asian social trends.
• Transparency InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational anti-corruption organization. CVoter has conducted face-to-face surveys for Transparency International. Founder is a life member and collaborator in TI's global corruption perception surveys.
• Win-Gallup InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational polling network. Win-Gallup International is supported by CVoter Foundation as a CSR initiative. CVoter participates in global polling collaboration through this network.
• Peace PollsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialized polling initiative focused on peace processes and conflict resolution. Supported by CVoter Foundation as part of its CSR activities.
• PIPA (Polling Organizations)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership of polling organizations supported by CVoter Foundation CSR initiative.
• VASE Case Studies: Indonesia (Ex-GAM Militia Fighters)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner42 ex-GAM (Free Aceh Movement) female militia fighters were trained as VASE researchers for a study on Acehnese peace process and its impact on relief operations in Indonesia.
• VASE Case Studies: Maldives (Tsunami Multi-Victims)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner20 male and 20 female multi-victims trained as VASE researchers studying democratization and its impact on tsunami relief operations in the Maldives.
• VASE Case Studies: Congo (Conflict-Victims)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner58 conflict-victims (23 male, 35 female) trained as VASE researchers studying perceptions on the democratization process in Congo.
• VASE Case Studies: Gujarat (Riot-Victims)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner20 male and 20 female riot-victims trained as VASE researchers studying trust in public institutions after communal riots in Gujarat, India.
• VASE Case Studies: Bihar (Sex-Worker Multi-Victims)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner22 female multi-victims in red-light areas trained as VASE researchers studying socio-economic indicators and quality of life of sex-workers in Bihar, India.
• VASE Case Studies: Palestine (Conflict-Victims)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner25 male and 25 female conflict-victims trained as VASE researchers studying perceptions on the peace process and democratization in Palestine.
• VASE Case Studies: Kashmir (Conflict-Victims)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner140 conflict-victims (62 male, 78 female) trained as VASE researchers studying perceptions for peace building across Kashmir.
• VASE Case Studies: Rural India (Drought-Victims)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 100 male/female drought-victims trained as VASE researchers studying farmers suicides and issues of agricultural loans in Rural India.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Pew Research Center: US non-partisan research organization producing public-opinion, demographic and social-trend research frequently cited in policy and academic settings. Comparable to CVoter on longitudinal tracking, academic partnership models and international survey distribution (which CVoter runs for India via ISSP/WVS/WWBi).
• Nielsen India (NielsenIQ): Indian arm of global measurement and data-analytics firm offering consumer, retail and media research to enterprise and government clients. Adjacent incumbent competing for corporate market-research budgets that CVoter also addresses via its customized market-assessment and brand-image services.
• Gallup: Global polling leader whose brand is synonymous with opinion research and whose World Poll runs comparable cross-country survey programs to CVoter's work for ISSP, WVS and WWBi. Relevant benchmark for global credibility, methodology standards and IO-grade polling work.
• YouGov: Global online-survey research and polling firm with a panel-based methodology targeting media and corporate clients worldwide. Comparable to CVoter's media polling, custom market research and opinion-tracking offerings, with stronger technology infrastructure but shallower in-country field capability in India.
• Ipsos India: Indian arm of global market-research leader Ipsos, offering omnibus, brand-tracking and public-opinion services to corporate, media and government clients. Overlaps with CVoter's market-research and stakeholder-research lines while operating at a far larger scale with broader geographic reach.
• Morning Consult: US-headquartered technology-enabled polling and market-intelligence firm serving media, brands and governments. Comparable to CVoter on the media-polling and brand-tracking dimensions and represents the global, capital-backed archetype CVoter would benchmark against for productized polling.
• Kantar (Millward Brown): Global market-research and consumer-insights firm offering brand-tracking, ad-effectiveness and stakeholder research to multinational corporates. Overlaps with CVoter's market-research, media-consultancy and brand-image-research services and competes for the same corporate clients CVoter targets in FICCI and beyond.

Emerging players

• GeoPoll: Mobile-based survey and data-collection firm focused on emerging markets across Africa and Asia. Direct methodological parallel to CVoter's CATI/multi-language survey infrastructure and a relevant peer for humanitarian, development and conflict-affected research that CVoter's VASE practice addresses.

Direct peers

• Today's Chanakya: Indian election forecasting and exit-poll agency that frequently publishes pre-poll and post-poll survey findings for Indian media. Competes head-to-head with CVoter for TV-channel election slots and uses similarly large multi-language sample designs across Indian states.
• CSDS-Lokniti (Centre for the Study of Developing Societies): India's leading academic election-research body, conducting exit and opinion polls for major media houses with comparable national sample sizes and state-level coverage. Directly comparable to CVoter's media-polling core and the most natural local competitor for state and general election mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Centre for Voting Opinion & Trends in Election Research