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No shift in digitisation deadline, Delhi lags behind: Ambika Soni
NEW DELHI: Ruling out extension of the sunset date for switching off analogue for cable television beyond 31 October, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni has admitted that Delhi was lagging behind in this process.
Soni met Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and asked her to ensure that all households having cable TV connections install digital set-top box (STB) before the deadline.
“Only 70 per cent people in Delhi have installed the digital device while in Mumbai 90 per cent people have installed it. The percentage for Kolkata is 77 and for Chennai it is around 70,” she said.
The Minister said though Delhi was lagging behind, she was confident that 100 per cent household would install the digital STBs by 31 October as Dikshit had assured full implementation.
Resolving to implement the “major reform initiative”, Soni said the deadline for installation of STBs in the four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai is not going to be extended any further. The I&B Ministry had extended the earlier deadline of 30 June to 31 October following what it termed as demand by cable operators.
“Through digitisation, people will be able to access internet connection, phone connection and even be able to watch TV on mobile. It is a major reform initiative in the (television and broadcasting) sector,” she said.
Dikshit, asked about Delhi lagging behind other metros in installation of STBs, said the state government would soon launch a
campaign to make people aware about the issue. “Delhi will not hesitate to implement it. I think it is a step forward towards modernisation. People in Delhi will install the device by 31 October. I have assured it to the Minister,” she said.
However, the Cable Operators Federation of India (COFI) said the earlier extension had been done by the government itself because of lack of STBs. COFI President Roop Sharma also told indiantelevision.com that the figure of 70 per cent was lower than the government‘s own earlier figure, and this showed there had been no under-declaration as claimed by some broadcasters.
Organisations of cable operators in Kolkata and Chennai have denied the latest claims. The Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation held its first meeting with cable operators on 27 September for installing headends.
The Cable and Broadband Operators Welfare Association of Kolkata recently said that “we can not understand how the penetration percentage of STB has jumped up from 20.67 per cent in the month of June 2012 (as stated by I and B Joint Secretary Supriya Sahu) to 67 per cent in the middle of September in Kolkata. The fact behind poor STB penetration is non-availability of STBs at a few MSOs of Kolkata even at this juncture”.
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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.
