Applications
Bharti Airtel in talks to buy out Qualcomm’s broadband wireless biz
MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel is in advanced talks with Qualcomm to buy out its broadband wireless business that would help the Indian telecom major strengthen its grip on high-end corporate clients.
Industry estimates put the acquisition price at $1.2 billion.
Airtel‘s intended proposal for the assets of the U.S. mobile phone chip-maker appears to be the most advanced, although any transaction may take at least another two to three months.
The company had earlier said it would exit its India venture after commercially rolling out the operations.
Qualcomm formed its India broadband operations after winning the Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) spectrum (radio waves) in four cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Haryana and Kerala for about $1 billion in auctions last year.
Qualcomm then formed separate joint venture companies for the four circle areas, with the chip-maker retaining 74 per cent stake in each company, while India‘s Global Holding Corp. and Tulip Telecom held 13 per cent each. According to Indian law, foreign companies can hold only up to 74 per cent of local telecom joint ventures.
On Thursday, Qualcomm said it was in “commercial” talks with Indian telecom companies that have bandwidth to offer third-generation mobile phone services.
Bharti won the broadband licenses in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kolkata and Punjab service areas, after paying approximately $740 million.
Indian mobile companies, who have seen their profitability eroding in the face of stiff competition, are now focusing more on data and enterprise services as voice calls–at less than a cent a minute–are the lowest in the world.
This shift in focus has been accentuated by the introduction of 3G services. Bharti hopes the data and enterprise services, supported by their 3G networks, would get a boost and drive in higher ARPUs (average revenue per user).
Moreover, Qualcomm assets would aid Bharti compete more effectively for high-end corporate clients. Bharti has bandwidth to offer 3G services in 13 areas across the country.
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.
