TOI and HT have locked horns on the readership issue. What do you think about the NRS versus IRS debate?
A. The last NRS is a bit dated. Also, the fundamental difference between the IRS and the NRS is that the last NRS used the 1991 census as its sampling universe. The IRS, by virtue of its recency, was able to use the 2000 census as its sampling universe. Why is the sampling universe so important? The growth between 1991 and 2000 has come a lot more from the newer areas of Delhi. The Times Of India, as a growing newspaper, has a larger share of the growing areas in Delhi – Noida, Vasant Kunj, and Gurgaon. That is because people settling in the newer parts in Delhi have taken to a growing brand better than an entrenched brand. As a result, the survey that was based on the 1991 understanding of what the Delhi residents were like, under-represented the newer areas of Delhi and therefore under-represented The Times Of India share. The IRS is a fair representation because it is based on a more recent censes. It gives a fair representation of all of Delhi. Hopefully, the next NRS would make th
