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Indian online gaming market touches Rs 210 million: IAMAI study
MUMBAI: The online gaming industry in India is worth Rs 210 million, according to a report published by IMRB International on behalf of the Internet and Mobile Association of India, (IAMAI). The key drivers of this segment in India, as also in developed markets include youth in the age group 17 – 25 years.
Although the online gaming market in small in comparison to developed gaming markets as Korea, China, Japan and the US, currently most of the revenues in this segment come from organized cyber cafés (Rs 121.7 million) and from subscription based revenues (Rs 66 million) and the contribution of advertising (Rs 22.4 million) which is expected to go up over the next 2-3 years, in line with developed gaming markets such as US where it accounts for close to 40 per cent. | ||
Almost 20 per cent of this revenue (Rs 40 million) currently accrues directly to International players not based in India. It is expected that over the next 2-3 years this proportion would go down as more Indian gaming portals come up and establish their presence by providing localized content. | ||
| IAMAI president Dr. Subho Ray said that, “Online gaming is in a very nascent stage in India, our aim in conducting the study at this early stage was to bring to light the current status. We believe that early interventions can enable the industry to achieve maturity in a shot span”. He added, “online gaming is one of the major drivers of internet adoption and use, and it is necessary that this segment is given all the necessary encouragement that it deserves.” According to Ray, there are three broad issues that could act as impediments to the progress of this segment: | ||
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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.
