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HITS can get active in 2nd phase of digitisation
MUMBAI: The second phase of digitisation across 38 cities will offer an opportunity for Headend-In-The-Sky (HITS) operators as the presence of national multi-system operators (MSOs) is not adequate enough to cater to this entire television viewing population, said Digicable Network chief strategy officer Sisir Pillai.
Tapping into this market will be a few HITS operators. "We will see a couple of big players launching HITS service," said Pillai.
Hinduja Group, which has interests in cable TV distribution business through IndusInd Media and Communications Ltd, is planning to launch HITS platform for smaller cable TV operators to offer digital service. It has already applied to the Information and Broadcasting ministry for a licence.
The HITS business will be under Grant Investrade, an investment arm of the Hindujas. Grant Investrade holds 6 per cent stake in IMCL.
Jain TV Group-owned NSTPL (Noida Software Technology Park Limited) has also got plans to get aggressively active in HITS. It has christened its HITS platform as Jain HITS.
Earlier, Siticable had started HITS service before the government had mandated digitisation of cable TV networks also the country but the project failed to make much ground and was finally shelved off.
"HITS can be a cheaper and faster option to grab the market in the second phase. MSOs will need to invest Rs 160-200 million on a digital head-end in each city they want to reach out to as there is a requirement to build a capacity for carrying 500 channels," said Pillai.
Since in the first phase the national MSOs were having a strong base, there was no need gap for a HITS service, Pillai added.
Even in the third phase, Pillai expects HITS to have a strong potential to grow.
Cable operators will be able to also offer broadband services through their fibre optic co-axial cable, despite receiving video signals from the HITS provider via satellite. "The bundling of broadband with video services will also be possible even if cable operators take to HITS for offering digital service. So the advantage over DTH will continue to prevail. Direct-to-home service providers can‘t offer broadband and satellite bandwidth is very costly," said Asianet Satellite Communications Ltd president and COO G Sankaranarayana.
Building a HITS platform will, however, involve huge investments as it requires transponder space on satellite, encryption systems and digital set-top boxes. NSTPL is planning to invest Rs 15 billion over five years in its HITS project.
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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.
