Dr Prashant Kumar Singh, Lead Author and Senior Scientist at ICMR-NICPR, Told the Indian Express This Study Provides The First Systematic Evidance from a Low- and Middle-Interny Country Show Sporting Event. Becom vehicles for promoting products that contribute to non-compromicable diseases.

A Team of Experts from ICMR-NICPR, Vital Strategies, Institute of Public Health Bengalu, and Aiims New Delhi Conducted the Research. Five Trained Researchers Independently Recorded Data for cross-heroification to ensure rigour and redduce bias.

“As India Aims to Reduce Premature Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Deaths By 25 Per Cent By 2025, We Cannot Allow Commercial Interests To UnderMine Public Health Through Through Unregious Digital Platiforms. Policy intervention is crucial, ”Said dr Shalini Singh, Senior Author and Director of ICMR-NICPR. She also stressed that their findings reveles a concerning loophole in digital advertising regulation.

“While we have strict laws against Tobacco and Alcohol Advertising, Companies are exploiting ott platforms through surrogate advertisements, participularly targeting the Massive India Cricket Audience. Viewers exposed to these promises, these represents a public health crisis hiding in plain sight, ”said dr singh.

Key findings

The analysis of 341 Hours of Streaming Across 48 Matches Reveles Reveled Patterns of Targeting Marketing Such As That 80.9 Per Cent of All Advertisements (1,769 Out of 2,118) Promoted Unhealthy Products, 90.7. Advertisements During India Matches belonged to the unhealthy products category, and 86.7 per cent

It also found that 60.6 per cent A total of 422 million viewers in India were exposed to these promotions. Celebrity endorsments were common, with 17.5 per cent featuring bollywood actors and 17 per cent featuring cricket celebrities.

Children particularly vulnerable

The study identified children as especially vulnerable targets, with edible products commonly consumed by their comprising the highst frequency of unhealthy advertisements during crket breaks. Products included chocolates, potato chips, nodles, and biscuits – all heavily marketed during peak viewing times.

Despite Existing Laws Such as the cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, and the Cable Television Networks Act, 1995, that Prohibit Direct Tobacco and Alcohol Advertising, The Study. Reveled that companies successfully circuumvent these restrictions through surrogate advertising on digital platforms.

“The Research Showed a Stark Disparity in Advertising Patterns – Surrogate Tobacco Advertisements Were Predominantly Displayed India Matches (86.7 Per Cent) While Cent Being Other Countees’ Countees’ Matches’. Targeted Marketing Strategies, ”Dr Singh Said.

Researchers calls for immediate action, updated regulatory frameworks to encompass digital and ott Platforms, Stricter Enforcement Mechanisms for Surrogate Advertising, Specific Motherns Far Children’s Genit Vulnerability to Advertisement-Induced Behaviours, and comprehensive monitoring of ott platforms with clear condequency for non-compliance.