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Asiasat’s profit up by 8% for first half of 2012
MUMBAI: Asian satellite operator, Asiasat, has reported a 37 per cent jump in its first six month‘s turnover to HK $1 billion due to a new finance act in India.
The turnover includes a one-time payment of HK $296 million from customers affected by a new finance law enacted in India, where Asiasat sells satellite bandwidth.
The new Indian Finance Act adds what could be a substantial new tax on foreign satellite fleet operators for certain commercial transactions deemed to be sourced in India. Excluding this one-off item, the turnover was similar to that of during the same period last year.
Profit attributable to shareholders for the six months ended 30 June 2012 rose by eight per cent to HK $395.16 million.
The addition of Asiasat 7 satellite opens up opportunities for near-term business growth before it replaces Asiasat 3S in 2014. New satellites Asiasat 6 and Asiasat 8 under construction, will bring additional capacity for core business growth. Expansion of Tai Po Earth Station enhances capability to provide a wider range of value added services to customers.
Asiasat chairman Ju Wei Min said, “During the first half of the year, the Asia-Pacific region was largely able to weather the economic storms currently being felt in Europe and the United States. In the second half of 2012, there is the possibility that we may begin seeing signs of slower growth, especially given the nature of our industry which tends to lag economic trends, both negative and positive.
“Nevertheless, we remain confident in our ability to deliver sustainable growth based on our reputation for providing highly reliable satellite services and technical excellence as well as our commitment to serving our customers in a professional and responsive manner.”
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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.
