Applications
Cable digitisation: IMCL makes third purchase in Kolkata
MUMBAI: IndusInd Media & Communications Ltd (IMCL) has made its third acquisition in Kolkata as it plans to expand in that marketplace where it sees a lot of demand coming from small-sized cable companies who are unable to fund for digital set-top boxes (STBs).
“We have acquired 51 per cent stake in a small cable TV network in Kolkata. We are looking at seeding 100,000 STBs through this company. This is our third purchase in Kolkata,” IMCL chief executive officer Nagesh Chabria told Indiantelevision.com.
In 2012, IMCL had picked up 51 per cent stake in two cable networks – Hooghly-based Advance Multisystem Broadband Communications (AMBC) and Skyvision.
Advance Multisystem Broadband Communications Limited (AMBC) has become a subsidiary of IMCL with effect from 9 November 2012. IMCL had on 18 May acquired AMBC by subscribing to 51 per cent of the paid up equity capital of AMBC by provision of STBs and digital head-end valued at Rs 80.1 million.
Meanwhile, Hinduja Ventures Limited (HVL) has reported a fall in its third quarter profit before tax from its media and communications segment (IMCL) to Rs 50.81 million from Rs 199.9 million in the trailing quarter.
The revenue from this segment, which houses the HVL’s cable TV business InCablenet, is Rs 1.52 billion compared to Rs 1.36 billion in the second quarter of the fiscal.
The media and communications business resides in IMCL, a subsidiary of HVL.
HVL has exercised the put option to increase its holding in subsidiary IMCL to 61.71 per cent from 61.17 per cent as a result of conversion of seven years, 12 per cent Cumulative Convertible Redeemable Preference shares aggregating to Rs 150 million into 1.03 million equity shares of Rs 10 each, at a premium of Rs 135 per share.
Applications
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.
