The Board of Broadcast Audience Research Council India (BARC), India’s TV audience measurement organisation, moved swiftly to quell rumours from doing damage to the body by announcing Friday evening Nakul Chopra as the new Chief Executive Officer.

An ad industry veteran Chopra’s appointment is effective August 25, the same day as the Indian cricket team takes on England in the third Test in the away-series.

An official statement from BARC India said Lulla has resigned his remit to pursue ambitions as an entrepreneur, a day after section of the Indian media had reported the development citing unnamed sources and had a field day speculating on Lulla’s departure at a time that are certainly challenging for the whole media and entertainment industry, including BARC India.

Chopra is not new to BARC India nor the issues that have been plaguing the industry body —it’s jointly owned by the industry bodies of the broadcasters, media agencies and clients.

As the incoming CEO, Chopra joined the BARC India Board in 2016 and was subsequently appointed the Chairman of the company (2018-19). In January 2020, he was appointed a member of its Oversight Committee.

But that Lulla quit as the CEO of the audience measurement company, operating in one of the biggest TV markets of the world, in less than two years time (he was named the CEO in October 2019 after data fudging allegations rocked BARC India under its previous head Partho Dasgupta), speaks volumes of the internal turmoil in the organisation.

The fact that the Board of BARC India named a successor to Lulla within 48 hours of media getting to know of Lulla’s departure tells us that the Board was already seized of the matter and were ready to douse any further media fire.

Chopra has been an integral part of the advertising and media fraternity and served as the CEO, India and South Asia, Publicis Worldwide, for over a decade.

Punit Goenka, Chairman, BARC India, in a statement while thanking Lulla and welcoming Chopra, said, “I am very happy to welcome Nakul as the natural and unanimous choice of the Board for the continuing journey of adding robustness to the BARC currency and strengthening the governance of the world’s largest television audience measurement body.”

According to Chopra, “I have had the benefit of a long association with BARC. The organisation has grown in measure and strength. TV continues to be the definitive screen of the Indian home – its strong reach and connect continues to elicit the trust of advertisers. I look forward to working with the very capable BARC team in further building on TV measurement and continuing the journey toward screen agnostic measurement.”

Lulla, while speaking on his future plans and thanking all at BARC, said, that after four decades of an “exciting career in professional services”, he would like to embark upon an “entrepreneurial journey”.

“I am privileged to have been able to contribute to BARC and this has been possible only because of the excellent team of professionals, a very supportive Board and the gold standard of Board-appointed committees. I wish Nakul Chopra, all the success,” he added.

BARC India is registered with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.