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TCS crowned Asia’s most valuable IT services brand
SINGAPORE: Tata Consultancy Services has claimed the top spot as Asia’s most valuable IT services brand, cementing its dominance in a region racing to digitise everything from factories to financial services. The recognition from Brand Finance, announced at its inaugural Asia Brand Gala in Singapore on Tuesday, rewards TCS for what the consultancy calls “strategic foresight” in artificial intelligence and data-driven innovation.
The Mumbai-based technology giant—valued globally at $21.3bn by Brand Finance earlier this year—has spent 2025 deepening its AI credentials across Asia. The company launched an AI-powered research and innovation centre in Singapore this year, positioning itself at the heart of the region’s technology evolution as enterprises scramble for trusted partners to navigate rapid change.
“TCS’s brand value in Asia reflects beyond consistent performance as it signals strategic foresight,” said Brand Finance Asia Pacific managing director Alex Haigh. “At a time when the world is looking to Asia as the global hub for digital capability, TCS stands out for translating AI momentum into measurable brand and business leadership.”
TCS chief marketing officer Abhinav Kumar said the recognition reflected trust earned across key markets including India, China, Japan, Australia and Singapore. “This region has been driving a rapidly increasing share of growth for the global economy, and its companies have become more sophisticated and mature in their use of technology,” he said.
TCS employs more than 590,000 people across 55 countries and generated consolidated revenues exceeding $30bn in the fiscal year ended March 2025. The company has leveraged sporting partnerships—from the Sydney Marathon to Jaguar TCS Racing in Formula E—to amplify its brand across the region, racing through cities including Shanghai, Tokyo, Jakarta, Seoul and Hyderabad.
For a company born in 1968 that cut its teeth on mainframes, the AI crown represents vindication of decades spent betting on the next technology cycle. TCS has navigated every shift from punch cards to machine learning. Now it’s banking on Asia to drive the next chapter of growth—and the brand value to match.
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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.
