What MRSI does

MRSI (Market Research Society of India) is a not-for-profit autonomous professional body founded in 1988 that represents India's research and insights industry. It is governed by a Managing Committee elected by its corporate members, with Nitin Kamat currently serving as President for the 2024-2027 term. The society serves market research agencies, in-house research users (FMCG, automotive, financial services, media), analytics firms, KPOs, technology providers, educational institutes, and individual professionals, with 177+ member organizations across corporate, educational, individual, and student categories.

MRSI's core product is its tiered membership program (Full Corporate, Associate Corporate, International Associate Corporate, Educational Institute, Individual, International Individual, and Student) with disclosed annual fees ranging from INR 2,100 (Student) to INR 72,600 (Full Corporate) and USD 2,000 (International Corporate). Beyond membership, it operates the ISEC (Indian Socio-Economic Classification) household classification system, publishes the annual Indian Research & Insights Industry Report, runs The Community Program (TCP) pro-bono research initiative partnering member agencies with NGOs, enforces a Code of Professional Standards, and hosts events including the Annual Seminar and MRSI Sports League. The organization adopted the ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market, Opinion and Social Research and Data Analytics 2025 at an EGM on 2 December 2025, to be effective 1 April 2026, deepening its regulatory and ethical stewardship role.

The business model is membership-subscription based, monetized through joining fees and annual dues, with no direct revenue disclosed. Distribution is direct via online applications on mrsi.co.in, complemented by newsletters, webinars, industry reports, and events. Notable member logos include Aditya Birla Group, Bharti Airtel, Britannia Industries, Amazon Seller Services, Coca-Cola India, and BARC, indicating reach into large institutional buyers of research.

Name

MRSI

Legal name

Market Research Society Of India

Website

https://mrsi.co.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MRSI is a 1988-founded not-for-profit autonomous professional body representing India's market research industry. It serves 177+ member organizations across corporate, educational, individual, and student tiers via subscriptions, the ISEC classification system, industry reports, and pro-bono community programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MRSI is a non-profit autonomous professional body for the Indian market research industry, established in 1988. It provides membership services, publishes industry reports, maintains socio-economic classification systems, and administers a code of professional standards for market research practitioners and users in India.

Product overview

MRSI (Market Research Society of India) is a not-for-profit autonomous market research body formed in 1988, serving as the leading professional institution representing India's research and insights industry. Rather than offering a unified software platform, MRSI provides a portfolio of membership services, industry publications, professional standards (Code of Conduct based on ICC/ESOMAR guidelines), and social impact programs. Key offerings include the Indian Research & Insights Industry Report (covering market size, trends, and forecasts), the ISEC classification system for socio-economic segmentation, The Community Program (pro-bono research for NGOs), and networking events like the MRSI Sports League. MRSI's services span corporate membership, individual professional membership, student membership, and educational institute membership, all focused on driving industry standards, ethics, and professional development in India's market research sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MRSI Membership Membership program granting market research professionals, agencies, and corporate users access to MRSI resources, networking events, and industry updates.
• Indian Research & Insights Industry Report Industry report providing data on the Indian market research sector, including revenue, employment, and growth trends, for member agencies, corporate users, and other stakeholders.
• ISEC (Indian Socio Economic Classification) Classification system used to segment Indian households by socio-economic status, providing a standardized framework for market research sampling and consumer profiling in India.
• The Community Program (TCP) Community engagement and networking program designed for MRSI members to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing within the Indian market research community.
• MRSI Code of Professional Standards Code of professional standards and ethics governing market research conduct in India, administered by MRSI for its members and the broader industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• 177 member organizations across Corporate, Educational, Individual and Student categories
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ESOMARcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMRSI has a strategic partnership with ESOMAR (European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research). Through this partnership, MRSI's winning team from The Community Program (TCP) is nominated for ESOMAR's Research Got Talent program at the global Insights Festival. MRSI has also adopted the ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market, Opinion and Social Research and Data Analytics.
• ICC (International Chamber of Commerce)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMRSI has adopted the ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market, Opinion and Social Research and Data Analytics 2025, which was approved by MRSI members in an Extraordinary General Meeting conducted on 2nd December 2025, to be implemented with effect from 1st April 2026. This code sets the standards for ethical research practice.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Insights Association: North American trade association for the market research and analytics industry, providing advocacy, education, standards and member services. It is functionally comparable to MRSI as a research-industry membership body serving the US market.
• Market Research Society (MRS): UK-based professional association for the market research sector, offering membership, training, events and a code of conduct. It is a direct functional peer to MRSI, operating the same industry-body model in a different geography.
• ESOMAR: European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research is the global professional body for market, opinion and social research. It is the closest international counterpart to MRSI, sharing the same industry-association structure, code of conduct mandate, and standards-setting role — and is itself an MRSI strategic partner.
• Australian Market and Social Research Society (AMSRS): Australia's peak industry body for market and social research, offering member accreditation, code of conduct and professional standards. It mirrors MRSI's role in a different country, with comparable membership and standards-setting activities.

Regional players

• The Research Society (TRS): Australian academic/professional society advancing research practice. Comparable to MRSI as a research-industry professional body in another geography, though with a more academic orientation.
• Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI): Indian self-regulatory organization for advertising content standards. While focused on advertising rather than research, it is structurally analogous to MRSI as a sectoral, India-based standards-setting body operating under a published code of conduct.
• Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India: India-based industry body that measures television viewership and audience research. While narrower in scope (broadcast), it is a comparable India-focused research-industry institution cited as an MRSI member, with a similar standards-and-measurement mandate.

Broad incumbents

• Confederation of Indian Industry (CII): India-wide industry association engaging with government, business and thought leadership across multiple sectors. As a broader apex body, it is comparable to MRSI in form (Indian industry membership body influencing policy and standards) rather than focus.
• Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI): Large Indian industry chamber that represents multiple sectors including services and analytics. Although far broader than MRSI, it is an analogous apex industry/representational body whose membership, advocacy, and event model MRSI parallels at a sector-specific level.
• World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR): Global professional association for public opinion and survey research, with a code of professional ethics and standards. It is a peer to MRSI in the global research-standards ecosystem, although its scope is broader and more international.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=GhGm0_FB1Dk
• Xx.com/TheMRSI
• Facebookfacebook.com/mrsi.india
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/themrsi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MRSI