Applications
Prasar Bharati to spend Rs 15.28 bn in first phase of digitisation
NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati is going to spend Rs 15.28 billion in its first phase of digitisation for Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR) that is set for completion in 2013.
Doordarshan has been earmarked a budget of Rs 6.2 billion while AIR gets Rs 9.08 billion for the first phase. A fresh dose of funding would be required for complete digitisation of the two outfits, but government sources couldn‘t confirm the entire requirement.
For the first phase, DD will digitise 40 transmitters. It will also complete full digitisation of 39 studios in 31 states and Union territories.
All India Radio has undertaken replacement and digitalisation of 70 MW transmitters, 34 old FM transmitters, setting up of 130 new digital compatible FM Transmitters, nine short wave transmitters and 98 studio centres in 34 states and Union territories.
Though the government is yet to take a final view on the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (Trai) recommendation that 31 December 2013 should be the sunset hour for analogue transmission, it has reiterated that it expects to complete digitisation in Doordarshan and All India Radio by 2017.
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.
