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Cabinet clears new satellite to replace Insat 2E & 3B
NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet has approved a communication satellite, GSAT 10, which will replace the existing and ageing Insat 2E and Insat 3B satellites. The satellite will be designed and developed at a cost of Rs 7.35 billion with a foreign exchange component of Rs 6.34 billion within 20 months, government sources say. The satellite will have 12 high power Ku-band transponders, 12 C-band and 12 Extended C band India coverage transponders and a navigation payload. It will also provide on-orbit back-up for the GAGAN navigation payload. As reported first on Indiantelevision.com, on 24 July the cabinet had approved the launch of GSAT 11 within 30 months with 16 beams in Ku-band and frequency reuse factor of 4. The two new communication satellites are to be launched within the next three years at a cost of Rs 12.35 billion, aimed at creating additional capacity of transponders and for direct-to-home (DTH) applications.
The spacecraft structure is designed for a lift off mass of about 3337 kg with a dry mass of approximately 1432 kg. The Spacecraft employs a proven 1-3K structure used to realise INSAT 4A and 4B satellites. The spacecraft is configured with 2-sided solar array panels to generate around 6 KW of DC power.GSAT 11 will be able to provide 10 GHz effective bandwidth equivalent to about 220 transponders of 36 MHz.
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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.
