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Star unveils downloadable video content on indya.com
MUMBAI: The Star Group‘s internet portal, indya.com has announced the launch of a digital entertainment store, by which users can download content. Among top shows on the network, Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, The Great Indian Laughter Challenge and Koffee With Karan will be made available for download. indya.com is also working with other content providers to bring Indian documentaries, current affairs updates, films and music online. The service is powered by Direct2Drive, Fox Interactive Media‘s digital retail store, which already offers an array of downloadable film, television and anime content from providers, such as 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate Films, and Starz Entertainment. Users can access the service at http://broadband.indya.com. |
Single episodes are now available for free on a trial basis in order to allow users to sample the quality of the content and service. Additional episodes are priced starting from US$0.99 though special discounts are available for bundle purchases. Additionally, indya.com‘s exclusive recap episodes will be available for top serials, chronicling an entire week of events in a 45-minute specially created recap. Recap episodes for shows like Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, are available now in the same week as aired on TV, with other shows to be added to the mix in the near future, informs an official release. It will be available worldwide and is targeted at broadband-enabled South Asian audiences in the U.S., U.K., Canada and South East Asia. |
The new service is offered via a “download-to-own” model, in which content is downloaded to the end-user‘s PC. Purchased content is then playable on up to two Windows Media compatible devices, including portable players, allowing consumers to view their content on the go, adds the release. “This is the first time an Asian internet portal has made this kind of scale of entertainment content available online,” said Star India executive vice president and head, interactive media Ajay Vidyasagar. “We are very pleased to be able to launch the service with a number of Star‘s popular properties and look forward to working with other content providers in order to offer broadband enabled South Asians the world over the best entertainment content for download.” |
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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.
