Applications
DEN in talks to raise private equity; IL&FS pumps in $40 mn
MUMBAI: Digital Entertainment Networks, one of the leading multi-system operators jointly floated by IBN18 joint MD Sameer Manchanda and Network18 founder-promoter Raghav Bahl, is in talks with private equity investors to raise funds for expanding its digital cable TV business. The MSO has already got an investment of $40 million from Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS), a source familiar with the development tells Indiantelevision.com. | ||
DEN has a major presence in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, the two lucrative carriage revenue markets for cable networks from broadcasters, and is pushing for digital set-top boxes (STBs) for which is requires fresh infusion of capital. “DEN has initiated serious talks with private equity investors. It has also kept open its other option of tapping the capital market with an initial public offering,” the source says. DEN has gobbled up Amogh Broadband Services, a leading MSO promoted by former Karnataka chief minister D Kumaraswamy‘s family. DEN pegged the enterprise value of Amogh at Rs 800 million, the source adds. When contacted, DEN CEO Anuj Gandhi declined to comment. DEN is using News Corp‘s NDS digital broadcasting solutions for its digital cable service. NDS has been selected to provide VideoGuard conditional access system (Cas), MediaHighway middleware and an advanced electronic programme guide (EPG). |
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.
