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Bharti Airtel awards network expansion contract to Ericsson
MUMBAI: Telecom service provider Bharti Airtel has awarded Ericsson an estimated $2 billion expansion contract, including expansion of its GSM/EDGE network and providing capacity management. According to an official announcement, the expansion is in line with Bharti Airtel‘s objective to offer world-class and cost effective telecom products and services to its customers through a state of the art, converged network across the country. The deal which is one‘s Ericsson‘s largest deals to date is expected to allow Bharti Airtel to expand its reach into rural areas thereby further consolidating its leadership position, states an official release. Under the two-year supply and services contract, Ericsson is expected to design, plan, deploy, optimize and manage Bharti Airtel‘s GSM network across 15 circles in India as well as for its pan-India prepaid (IN) platform across 23 circles. In addition, Ericsson will also deliver pan-India integrated device management solutions, enabling usage of advanced data services by all mobile customers across retail and enterprise segments. Bharti Airtel president and CEO Manoj Kohli says, “Our partnership with Ericsson is testament to this belief as it allows us to focus on delivering a better customer experience leveraging Ericsson‘s global expertise to enhance our networks. The state of the art network will further allow us to offer more innovative products and solutions in the areas of voice and data like community based charging, location based services and enterprise VPN services. Bharti and Ericsson is also looking at forming a focus group to work on energy optimization by way of introducing energy efficient equipments and alternate energy sources,” he added. Ericsson India managing director Mats Granryd says, “We are honored that Bharti Airtel has chosen to partner with us in this grand venture that underpins our strategy of providing communications for all through sustainable and innovative solutions.” Ericsson has been a strategic partner of Bharti Airtel since 1995, and manages around 70 percent of its GSM/EDGE network in 15 circles in India. Its nationwide charging solution (IN) caters to Airtel customers across all the 23 circles of Airtel Bharti.
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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.
