Market Research

Many people who look up market research expect a survey. The industry behind it is far larger than that. ESOMAR's Global Market Research 2024 report says the global insights industry grew 8% in 2023, from almost US$130 billion to US$142 billion. ESOMAR is the global association for research and insights professionals.

A typical study runs like this: someone in Lucknow or Coimbatore is asked about a snack, a bank app or a phone, and a decision is made elsewhere on the strength of the answer. Whether that decision is sound depends on who was asked, in which language, and on what terms.

This page explains what market research means, the main types, which research format answers which question, and what it can mean for you if you take part in a study.

What marks research out is a method you can describe and repeat. A relative's view on your packaging is an opinion. Recorded interviews with the buyers you want to reach, asked the same questions and compared, are research.

The 2025 code is the profession's rulebook, with 13 articles on how participants, clients and the public must be treated. The Market Research Society of India (MRSI) announced its adoption in December 2025, and its members have been bound by it since 1 April 2026.

Research most often helps you decide four things: what to build, what to charge, what to say and how the customer experience should work. It matters because each is costly to reverse once money is spent. Product teams use it before building, brands before launching or repricing, and agencies and consultancies commission it for clients.

Language, city and household each change what people say and do, so a finding from one place may not hold in another. As of the 2011 Census, the Language Atlas of India covers 121 languages: 22 scheduled in the Constitution and 99 not.

This is why researchers ask about your city, language and household when you create a participant profile. It helps match you to studies where your background is relevant. It does not mean everyone who registers will be invited to a study.

Primary research collects new information directly from people for your question. Secondary research uses information others have already collected, such as government data, published reports or your own sales records. Start with secondary because it is quick to check, then use primary for what it cannot answer.

Four kinds of research on two scales

Data is also qualitative or quantitative. Qualitative research uncovers why people do what they do, through descriptive insight into their perceptions, opinions, beliefs and attitudes. It usually involves fewer people than quantitative research, which collects numbers from many people to measure how many, how much or how often.

Choose the format from the question. Interviews suit personal reasons, focus groups suit group reactions, diaries suit what happens over days, shop-alongs and ethnography suit behaviour in context, and usability tests suit whether a task works.

Before you take part in a study, you should know what you are agreeing to. With Qualfacto, an invitation includes key details such as the study topic, format, expected time commitment and applicable reward, so you can decide whether the study suits you. Here is what to check:

1. Topic. What is the study about?
2. Format. Is it an interview, a group discussion, a diary activity or a product or app test, and is it online or in person?
3. Time. How long will it take, and when?
4. Reward. Rewards depend on the specific study and its participation terms. Check the applicable reward details before you agree.
5. Consent and data. Will the session be recorded, and how will your information be used? Read the Privacy Policy before you decide.

Once you take part, share honestly. There is no right answer, and you do not need to give the answer you think someone wants to hear.

Participation must be voluntary and based on clear information, and participants can withdraw at any time. Personal data goes to a client only if the participant agreed to that purpose and transfer, and researchers keep client communications and results confidential unless agreed otherwise. These duties sit in Articles 4, 6 and 8 of the ICC/ESOMAR Code.

As of 23 October 2026, the DPDP Rules, 2025, made under India's Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, apply in phases. The provisions setting up the Data Protection Board took effect on 13 November 2025. The notice, consent and data principal rights rules take effect on 13 May 2027, and a data principal is the person whose data is collected.

You can read how Qualfacto handles participant information in its Privacy Policy. To ask for your data to be deleted, see Data Deletion.

Qualfacto connects people in India with opportunities to share their experiences and opinions through qualitative market research. Depending on the study, you might take part in an in-depth interview, a focus group discussion, a diary study, an online bulletin board (a written discussion over several days), ethnography, a shop-along, a product test, or an app or website usability test, online or in person.

Studies may be conducted by Qualfacto, research partners or other research organisations, depending on the project. Study invitations depend on each project’s requirements and your participant profile. Registering is an expression of interest and does not guarantee selection or immediate study invitations. Rewards, eligibility and timelines depend on the specific study and its participation terms, and these details are shared before you take part. You can read the Terms of Participation on our website.

Joining Qualfacto is free. You should never be asked to pay to register or to access a research opportunity. To be considered for suitable studies, register with Qualfacto.