Applications
Den sets IPO price band at Rs 195-205
MUMBAI: Den Networks Ltd, the first of the two multi-system operators to tap the capital market, has fixed its initial public offering (IPO) price band at Rs 195-205 per share. |
Den will be able to raise Rs 4.1 billion at the upper and Rs 3.9 billion at the lower price band. The valuation of Den, which has set its footprint across India by acquiring cable TV networks  Den will hit the capital market on 28 October with an IPO of up to 20 million equity shares (of Rs 10 each). The issue closes on 30 October. “The issue would constitute up to 15.16 per cent of the post-issue paid-up equity share capital of the company,” Den said. Earlier this year, Den sold 3.95 million shares at Rs 190 each to foreign fund EMSAF. Set up in July 2007 by IBN18 Broadcast Ltd joint managing director Sameer Manchanda and Lucid Systems, Den has invested Rs 2.5 billion for acquiring cable networks. Den intends to invest a further Rs 750 million towards acquisition out of the net proceeds of the IPO. The MSO has earmarked Rs 2.1 billion towards digital cable TV infrastructure and Rs 250 million for cable broadband infrastructure and services. A further Rs 400 million will be utilised for repayment of loan and Rs 100 million for acquisition of content and broadcasting. Den has 300,000 digital cable television subscribers and currently provides cable television services in the National Capital Region of Delhi and the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala. As reported earlier in Indiantelevision.com, Manchanda and associates own 62.65 per cent stake in Den. Following the IPO, the holding of Manchanda and associates will drop to 53.15 per cent. Deutsche Bank and India‘s Antique Capital are the arrangers for the offer. Hathway Cable & Datacom is also planning a public float and is awaiting Sebi (Securities and Exchange Board of India) clearance. |
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.
