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66.54 million C&S homes in India: IRS
MUMBAI: The number of cable and satellite (C&S) homes in India has increased 26 per cent to 66.54 million, according to the latest Indian Readership Survey (IRS) report. Urban India has 39.21 million C&S homes, growing by 20.67 per cent. There are 27.33 million C&S homes in rural India, an increase of 25.26 per cent from the prior round of survey by IRS. The study covers from July 2007 to June 2008, on a sample size of 254,913 individuals. The study was done by Media Research Users Council (MRUC) and Hansa Research. |
According to IRS Round 1 (R1) survey, conducted between January to December 2006), there were 52.92 million homes. The C&S penetration is highest in Tamil Nadu (10.33 million), followed by Andhra Pradesh (9.84 million) and Maharashtra (8.41 million). West Bengal has 4.6 million C&S homes while Delhi (and urban environ) reaches to 3.22 million households. Cable and satellite penetration is lowest in Jammu Kashmir (131,000 homes). |
The total number of TV homes (one TV set) in India has grown from 90.69 million to 100.38 million. In the urban areas, the number of TV homes has increased to 48.98 million (from 45.04 million) while in the rural areas it has touched 51.39 million (from 45.65 million). The number of colour TV sets has increased from 55.40 million to 73.98 million. |
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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.
