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IAMAI event on 8 August to focus on Vas on mobile
MUMBAI: The mobile data services market is projected to grow to Rs 671 billion by 2015, according to a recent report by IAMAI-IMRB.
The study estimates that over 30 per cent of the total mobile revenues would come from mobile data services, contributing 54 per cent of telecom revenue by 2015.
With mobile devices driving consumption for news, social media, e-commerce & banking, video-on-demand, gaming & entertainment, there is a need for the industry to strengthen the existing eco-system. A major challenge that remains for the industry is to drive engagement from customers on the mobile screen utilising the internet.
It is in this background of explosive growth that the IAMAI is organising the Mobile Innovation Conference on 8 August at the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai. The conference aims to become a platform to encourage industry leaders – both from the telcos and providers of mobile data platforms and services – to come together and collaborate on the future of engaging customers on mobiles.
Highlighting the need of the industry to look at revenues beyond traditional means, the event will open with a key note address by Vishwanath Alluri (Founder & CEO – IMImobile) on mobile ‘mEngagement – Its Present, Future & Relevance to businesses in India.’ Idea Cellular managing director Himanshu Kapania will also be speaking at the event on ‘Services beyond Voice and SMS‘ in the mobile space.
IAMAI president Dr. Subho Ray said, “Thus far, the mobile industry has focused on aggregating numbers for mobile usage. While MVAS provided consumers with information, entertainment and utility services and generated incremental revenues for operators, the time is now ripe to move beyond MVAS and focus on enterprise adoption of mobile technologies for greater business productivity. A robust and proven mobile data services platform that can act as a bridge between operators and enterprises is needed. Such a platform can drive enterprise adoption of mobile and open up new revenue streams for operators.”
The Mobile Innovation Conference will feature participation from prominent industry thought leaders like Neeraj Roy (Managing Director & CEO – Hungama), Anisha Singh (Founder & Chief Executive Officer – mydala.com), Jonathan Bill (Senior Vice President and Business Development – Vodafone India), Beerud Sheth (Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer – SMS Gupshup) and Sunil Kamath (Sales Director- India & SAARC – Opera Software).
IAMAI & IMImobile will also be releasing a joint study on ‘Mobile Adoption: State of Indian Enterprises’ during the inaugural session of the event.
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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.
