Applications
Consumer trust deficit a challenge in growing mobile Vas revenues
MUMBAI: While the mobile Value Added Service (mVas) market is expected to grow to Rs. 671 billion by 2015 which would account for 30 per cent of mobile revenue, there are challenges. One challenge is the lack of consumer trust in data services. The focus of operators should rest on building relevance of services to the consumer.
This point was made at the Mobile Innovation Conference organised by IAMAI. Idea Cellular MD Himanshu Kapania spoke on ‘Services Beyond Voice and SMS‘. He noted that handset users have to be made aware of the benefits of accessing the net. For Vas revenues to grow, technology, big ideas and platforms are needed to help the process but consumers also have to believe in the value. “For mobile data to grow in terms of revenue you need a great network. At the same time you cannot leapfrog technology.”
He disagreed with the view held in some circles that 4G would bypass 3G. “2G users will upgrade to affordable 3G handsets which costs $70. This price will go down to $35-$50. This is where the takeoff will happen. What is happening today in China will happen in India in the coming four years.”
“The mobile data business has to move from push to pull. Operators cannot force feed applications on to consumers. Consumers have to demand services, which is why AT&T is doing so well in the US. Consumers have to be at the centre of what is being done. Mobile operators need to spend time on understanding consumers and why they aren‘t happy.”
He also stressed the fact that mobile operators and Mvas companies need to work in a partnership and there should be a long term plan. Also the government should be seen as a friend and not as an adversary. “People should have choice, ease of access and the ability to discover services in the manner that they want to.”
Applications
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.
