Applications
Den floats arm, enters into JV with BFTV for launch of BabyFirst channel
MUMBAI: After building a pan India cable TV network, founder-promoter Sameer Manchanda is beginning to cobble together a bouquet of global channels for launching them in India.
Den Networks has floated a television and media services subsidiary company, IME Networks, for this purpose.
For starters, IME Networks has entered into a joint venture partnership with BFTV LLC, broadcasters of BabyFirst, the international television channel for babies, toddlers and parents.
The JV, in which IME Networks holds 75 per cent, marks Den’s foray into introducing international channels of genres currently “underserved” in the Indian market.
The JV will house all rights for BabyFirst’s businesses in India and other select territories, including the distribution of the channel and related businesses. It will draw on BFTV’s internationally renowned content for babies and parents and leverage Den’s strengths in the Indian media industry and television distribution.
Den Network CMD Sameer Manchanda said, “We are very pleased to partner BabyFirst through our JV. We see tremendous potential for a focused channel for babies and parents in a young country like India. The Indian television industry is at the threshold of the next wave of channels in genres that are virtually absent today. This JV marks our first step in introducing such channels to Indian audiences.”
BFTV CEO Guy Oranim added, “We consider the Indian market a top priority for our company due to its size, young population and strong family values. We believe that introducing high quality, age-appropriate educational content, as we have done in more than 30 countries, will benefit both Indian children and their parents by offering them another way to bond and interact. Den is the ideal partner for us in India, and we have the utmost respect for the quality of its management, their expertise and their commitment to the success of this JV.”
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.
