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14 Isro space missions in 12th Plan linked to strengthening communications
NEW DELHI: Fourteen of the 58 space missions to be launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) as a part of 12th Five Year Plan, 2012-17 are linked to communications.
In addition to the fourteen satellites, five launch vehicles missions will also be linked to these satellites.
A Plan outlay of Rs. 397.5 billion in 12th Five Year Plan period has been provisionally earmarked under the Plan budget for space programmes. During the current year 2012-13, a sum of Rs 56.15 billion has been allocated and the amount spent up to the end of October 2012 was Rs.18.7153 billion. The Plan includes 33 satellite missions and 25 launch vehicles missions.
GSAT 10, GSAT 15, GSAT 16, GSAT 17, and GSAT 18 will specifically be communication satellites to augment the INSAT system with C and Ku band Transponders.
GSAT 9 will be a communication satellite to augment the INSAT system with C band Transponders.
GSAT 14 and GSAT 11S will be experimental communication satellites, while GSAT 6 and GSAT 6A will be multi-media mobile communication satellites for strategic applications.
GSAT 7 is a communication satellite for special users, and both GSAT 11 and GSAT Ka are advanced Ka band satellite for VSAT communications. GSAT 19E is a new generation experimental communication satellite.
The five launch vehicle missions are GSLV – D5 (Development flight with indigenous cryogenic stage for launching GSAT 14 satellite); GSLV D6 (for launching of GSAT 6 into Geosynchronous transfer orbit); GSLV F09 (for launching of GSAT 9 communication satellite); GSLV – F11 (for launching of GSAT-6A satellite); and GSLV Mk III D1 (first developmental flight of GSLV Mk III for launching GSAT-19E satellite).
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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.
