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Dish TV offers DTH portability to lure migration from other ops
NEW DELHI: The leading direct-to-home (DTH) operator, Dish TV, has launched a new conditional access module (CAM) device to offer DTH portability.
Dish Freedom, the device, has been launched over a year after the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) issued a consultation paper on technical interoperability of DTH Set- Top Boxes.
Dish Freedom will enable DTH customers to opt for Dish TV services in case they want to switch from their existing DTH operator without changing their set-top boxes.
The device, being launched in select key markets, is priced at Rs 990 and is bundled with an annual subscription of Dish Freedom pack of 95 channels and services worth Rs 600.
Announcing the launch, Dish TV MD Jawahar Goel said, “Trai mandates interoperability in the DTH licencing norms and it is obligatory for all operators to offer interoperable set top boxes. Being the trend setters in the industry, we are proud to launch the country’s first CAM device that will be a momentous landmark in the Indian DTH chapter.”
Dish TV COO Salil Kapoor added, “About 20 per cent of the 33 million DTH subscribers in the country are estimated to be inactive. This is a substantial dormant market segment that we will target as our customer base for ‘Dish Freedom‘. Being the only player offering CAM services, we aim to add the inactive base in metros and smaller cities to our over 11 million strong family.”
Dish Freedom, the CAM device, can be inserted into the card port on all BIS compliant set-top boxes with a CI slot (as is mandated by Trai). This “easy to use service” is quick to install. By just plugging the device into the CI slot of the set- top box, consumers can instantly begin receiving all of Dish TV’s channel and entertainment offerings. Dish Freedom will work on all kinds of DTH platforms including MPEG2 & MPEG4.
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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.
