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Exset makes two key appointments
MUMBAI: Broadcast technology and solutions company Exset has announced two key international appointments.
Hema Suri joins the company as director of business development for Strategic Markets, concentrating on Africa and the CIS countries. Meanwhile, Rahul Agarwal has joined Exset as a product manager for set-top boxes (STB) and is focusing on Asian and African markets.
The appointments reflect continued expansion of the company in 2013, particularly for its Digital Monetisation System (DMS) and its vital ability to counteract the digital divide in emerging markets and empower populations via the TV screen.
Exset CEO Alex Borland said, “We are pleased to welcome both of these key talents to Exset as the company continues to expand its business in emerging markets. Their experience is invaluable, helping Exset’s customers to take advantage of digitization and to be able to monetize pay-TV networks where previously impossible”.
Suri’s most recent role has been with BBC Worldwide Channels as regional manager for North India, including Pakistan and Nepal. Prior to that, Suri worked with Logic Eastern, a set-top box, middleware and head-end provider.
Agarwal brings with him experience of working with broadcast companies including BSkyB and Channel 4 in the UK.
Digital Monetisation System (DMS) is a solution that bridges the gap between technology and value-added services. It allows digital television platforms to be created that can then be monetised where previously impossible. The result allows populations to benefit from new information and entertainment services, while partnering with governments to achieve digital switchover and bringing social transformation.
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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.
