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Alva Brothers forays into the digital space
MUMBAI: Alva Brothers Entertainment (ABE) has announced its foray into the new media domain with the launch of a digital division.
The division will develop digital properties for the group, as well as syndicate premium content to key partners, in areas like web, interactive and mobile services. Its portfolio includes content across categories like lifestyle, education, and infotainment, for urban and rural audiences.
The company has also appointed Shruti Gupta as business head-digital to spearhead the division. Gupta comes with over 10 years of experience in media houses, with the most recent being at NDTV Convergence where she was heading the content vertical for mobile value added services.
Alva Brothers Entertainment CEO Nikhil Alva said, “The division between the traditional and digital mediums is rapidly diminishing. We want our audience to be able to access our content across devices, as best suited to their needs and preferences. We firmly believe in the triple-screen play, and are fully geared up to create quality offerings across mediums. With the ever-increasing number of mobile and internet users, we are very positive about the opportunities that the market possesses. We are also bullish on the prospects that 3G has opened up, especially for producers of premium video content.”
Gupta said, “We are creating specialised video content that offers a rich viewing experience on mobile and computer screens. We believe that with the boom in high-end devices, better bandwidths, and competitive tariff situations, the digital consumer is looking for more than repurposed television content. Our focus is on products that are relevant, informative and entertaining. We will extend these products to local languages and localised content, to add a wider appeal.”
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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.
