Applications
GTPL rolling out HD cable TV in Kolkata
NEW DELHI: High Definition digital cable set-top boxes (STBs) from Cisco are to be rolled out by Gujarat Telelink Private Ltd. (GTPL) in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA).
Ahmedabad-based GTPL, a multi-system operator where Hathway Cable & Datacom has an equal stake, said this move will revolutionise consumer entertainment in the state and enable subscribers to experience superior HD TV along with other services such as DVR (digital video recording), HD gaming, VoD (Video on demand) and future Connected Home services to consumers.
GTPL had acquired a 51 per cent stake in Kolkata Cable and Broadband Pariseva to set foot in West Bengal.
GTPL and Cisco will work together to usher in cable digitisation across the key states of Gujarat, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Assam and Jharkhand to deploy digital STBs, both HD and SD, in these markets.
GTPL managing director Anirudh Sinh Jadeja said: “We see tremendous potential in the eastern region. GTPL-KCBPL has been a very successful joint venture and we have attained a leadership position in Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) in a short timeframe. Our partners and consumers have shown tremendous faith in us. With the introduction of HD TV, we hope to further enhance consumer entertainment and increase satisfaction. We are proud to be one of the first players to rollout digitalisation in KMA, in line with the digitisation drive by Government of India. And we believe, that with digitisation, our partners and viewers stand to benefit from more opportunities, products and value.”
Sandeep Arora, VP, service provider, Cisco India & SAARC, added: “Our engagement with GTPL has the potential to transform cable industry in India. Cisco offers an End-to-End portfolio of cable solutions – from content acquisition to distribution to consumer TV – and hence is uniquely positioned in the market. In line with our commitment to our customers, we have developed an innovative business model for GTPL, which will allow them to benefit immensely from digitization and offer several new improved services to its consumers.”
Applications
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.
