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Cable ops to focus on multiple revenue streams; land grab phase over
NEW DELHI: Build a robust subscription income, digitise rapidly and develop broadband as a revenue stream. That seems to be the business model all the leading multi-system operators (MSOs) are going to chase after having spread their tentacles across the country. “The land grab phase is over. There will be truce on the ground and MSOs will now focus on developing other revenue streams,” said Digicable Network (India) Pvt Ltd managing director and chief executive officer Jagjit Singh Kohli. Speaking at the India Digital Networks Summit 2009, Kohli said Digicable had set up 26 head-ends across the country and would continue to invest in infrastructure. “The answer to growth lies in value-added services,” he added. |
Consolidation and last mile acquisitions will continue as MSOs raise fresh capital. Hathway Cable & Datacom and Den Networks are tapping the capital market and the two listings would have a significant impact on how the sector can find funding to support expansion opportunities. MSOs also need to build a revenue model on digitisation where Cas (conditional access system) is not mandated. “The digitisation process within the cable industry does not have any extra earnings for the MSOs. There is no payback on digitisation. We have to collectively address the issue of building a revenue model on the digital set-top boxes,” said You Telecom India SVP and head of video business Neeraj Bhatia. Bhatia also emphasised on growing the broadband business as a strong revenue pipeline. “In the US, for example, broadband has come first before IPTV. It is a strong revenue stream for cable companies like Comcast,” he said. With local cable operators under-reporting their subscriber figures and the government yet to lay out a clear roadmap for digitisation, MSOs are searching for a viable business model. “We need to know the regulatory flight path. How can we build a business model without that? We want to go for a public float only with a proper clarity on our growth path,” said IndusInd Media & Communications Ltd managing director and chief executive officer Ravi Mansukhani.MSOs are also planning to invest in local cable channels in smaller towns. “There is a business opportunity in local news and event-based cable channels in tier-II towns. In metro markets where satellite channels have mushroomed, it is difficult to find a business proposition for such cable channels,” said Mansukhani. |
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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.
