Mitali Chowhan speaks of India’s research landscape: quality, scale, AI adoption, and how insights professionals can prove business impact.

In this episode of Insights from Elsewhere, Cynthia Portugal speaks with Mitali Chowhan, Director General of the Market Research Society of India (MRSI), to explore the realities of market research in India and what global professionals can learn from it.

They discuss how India combines rigorous methodological foundations with rapid adoption of new technologies, including AI and mobile-first research. The conversation highlights the importance of demonstrating business impact, navigating client pressures, and maintaining research quality in a fast-changing environment.

Mitali also shares practical perspectives on working across cultures, managing complexity in diverse markets, and developing the next generation of researchers—balancing foundational knowledge with modern tools.

An experience-driven conversation on where the industry is heading and what must not be lost along the way.

Episode Highlights:

• Why Indian market research emphasizes strong fundamentals like sampling, heterogeneity, and statistical rigor.
• The challenge of proving business impact and how “impact awards” help shift the narrative.
• AI in research: where it delivers real efficiency vs. where risks and limitations remain.
• Cultural and operational nuances of conducting research in India, including language diversity and scale.
• The tension between shrinking budgets, automation, and maintaining research quality.
• Talent development: how to attract, train, and retain the next generation of insights professionals.

About the Guest

Mitali Chowhan is the Director General of the Market Research Society of India, based in Mumbai.

With nearly four decades of experience across both agency and client-side roles—including leadership positions at TNS and major telecom companies such as Vodafone—she brings a deep understanding of global and local research ecosystems.

Her work focuses on elevating the visibility, credibility, and impact of market research, while fostering high standards, responsible innovation, and talent development within the industry.