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IMCL in talks with PE firms to raise $75 mn
MUMBAI: Hinduja-owned IndusInd Media and Communications (IMCL) is in talks with private equity investors to raise $75 million to fund the second phase of cable TV digitisation.
IMCL has mandated Ernst & Young to find an investor for its funding requirement. "With India mandating digitisation, there is a huge appetite to invest in cable TV companies. We are looking at raising $75 million. E&Y has been given the mandate for this purpose," IndusInd Media & Communications chief executive officer Nagesh Chhabria tells Indiantelevision.com.
IMCL, which operates its cable TV business under the Incablenet brand, will need Rs 6 billion as it is targeting four million set-top boxes (STBs). "We have existing lines of credit from banks for $15 million. We can raise $10 million of new debt," says Chhabria.
IMCL has a debt of Rs 3 billion
The multi-system operator (MSO) operates in 15 out of the 38 cities that fall under digitisation in the second phase. The plan is to also enter into 14 more markets. "We would require two million STBs from our existing cities. We anticipate another two million boxes from the new operations," says Chhabria.
Will IMCL look at acquiring cable networks for entering these markets? "There are many operators who will find it difficult to fund digitisation. We are in talks with independent operators. We can also enter on our own," says Chhabria.
IMCL has deployed 1.3 million boxes across three cities in the first phase. "Our target is 1.5 million STBs," Chhabria says.
The government has mandated digitisation in 38 more cities by 31 March 2013, after switching to digital delivery of cable TV in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata from 1 November. The revised deadline for switchover to digital delivery in Chennai is likely to be decided by the Madras High Court.
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
