MRSI adopts ICC/ESOMAR 2025 Code, tightens ethics for an AI-driven insights industry

The Market Research Society of India (MRSI) has adopted the ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market, Opinion and Social Research and Data Analytics 2025, signalling a decisive push toward stronger ethics and transparency as AI and synthetic data reshape the insights business.

The updated Code, endorsed by over 60 associations across more than 50 countries, reflects the industry’s rapid pivot to automation, secondary data and new technology. Developed by ESOMAR and the International Chamber of Commerce since 1977, the 2025 edition aims to bring clarity to an increasingly complex and fragmented research ecosystem.

As India’s leading body for the insights industry since 1988, MRSI enforces professional standards through its member network and its Professional Standards Committee (PSC). Created in 2020, the PSC drives self-regulation and disciplinary action. It is chaired by Sathyamurthy Namakkal, Co-founder of AIMO Marketing Services (DataPOEM), alongside senior leaders from Nestlé India, Quantum Consumer Solutions, Ipsos India and Godrej Consumer Products.


The 2025 Code introduces sharper guardrails around ethics, accountability and human oversight. Key changes include:

• A reinforced “duty of care” to protect children, young people and vulnerable groups.
• Stricter rules on data minimisation and post-use anonymisation.
• New norms for responsible use of AI and emerging technologies, with clearer expectations on privacy and transparency.
• A tighter “fit-for-purpose research” requirement to ensure studies accurately reflect target populations, including work done through self-service platforms.
• Expanded transparency standards that mandate fuller disclosure of methods, data sources and limitations.

Nitin Kamat, Chief Growth and Partnerships Officer at TAM Media Research and President of MRSI, said the adoption “underscores the industry’s commitment to ethical precision and responsible data use.” He noted that the move boosts global confidence in India’s ability to deliver “transparent, trustworthy and internationally benchmarked research.”

ESOMAR President Anne-Sophie Damelincourt said the alignment is “a milestone that highlights India’s leadership in ethical research,” adding that it strengthens international collaboration and “sets a firmer benchmark for global self-regulation.”

MRSI will implement the ICC/ESOMAR International Code 2025 from April 1, 2026, marking one of the most significant upgrades to India’s research governance framework in over a decade.