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Mobile forum focuses on latest technology trends
MUMBAI: Tmobile2win, India`s leading VAS enabler hosted its first mobile Monday forum in Mumbai last week. The meet was attended by more than 60 professionals and enthusiasts from the Music, Telecom, Media and IT industry.Mobile Mondays are small, informal meets arranged city-wise and every month. |
The key note address was given by Netcore Solutions India VP mobile products and strategy Veerchand Bothra followed by mobile2win CEO Gopala Krishnan. He started off by explaining the concept of Mobile Monday(MoMo) and outlining the agenda for the evening followed by a presentation on the mobile indusry in general and the latest trends in mobile technology. The theme for the event was The Mobile Music Market in India- Untapped revenue streams in urban and rural India. Key speakers were- Soundbuzz GM Mandar Thakur, mobile2win country head Rajiv Hiranandani, Universal Music MD Rajat Kakar, Hutch‘s Shailesh Varudkar, and ABP head Internet and telecom Saurav Sen. |
Discussions ranged from wireless technologies to Piracy in the mobile music industry, entertainment offerings and value added services etc. Kakar says, “Mobile Value Added Services (Vas) represents a growing format for sale and promotion of Music. Universal Music Group, as leaders in the Music business worldwide, have both,the responsibility and the desire to shape the contours of this opportunity in our endeavour to reach out to our consumers. Indian mobile landsacpe is among the largest in the World and interventions early in the product life cycles will, hopefully, ensure a viable eco-system for all players in this domain.” Mr Rajiv Discussions ranged from wireless technologies to Piracy in the mobile music industry, entertainment offerings and value added services etc. According to Mr Rajat Kakar, MD, Universal Music India Pvt Ltd, “Mobile VAS represents a growing format for sale and promotion of Music. Universal Music Group, as leaders in the Music business worldwide, have both,the responsibility and the desire to shape the contours of this opportunity in our endeavour to reach out to our consumers. Indian mobile landsacpe is among the largest in the World and interventions early in the product life cycles will, hopefully, ensure a viable eco-system for all players in this domain.” Mr Rajiv Hiranandani, Country Head, mobile2win, says “Year 2006 is a landmark year for the Indian Mobile industry.The userbase has touched around 13 crore which is only next to China”. He further added, “Mobile Monday is an industry event and which is driven by the community, whose suggestions and co-operation makes it all possible. The forum give us a platform to discuss concerning issues related to the mobile VAS industry in a more open and informal manner”. Hiranandani says, “Year 2006 is a landmark year for the Indian Mobile industry.The userbase has touched around 13 crore which is only next to China. Mobile Monday is an industry event and which is driven by the community, whose suggestions and co-operation makes it all possible. The forum give us a platform to discuss concerning issues related to the mobile Vas industry in a more open and informal manner”. |
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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.
