Applications
Den Q2 net up at Rs 105 mn as revenue jumps 14%
MUMBAI: Sameer Manchanda-promoted Den Networks has posted a second-quarter consolidated net profit of Rs 105 million, up from Rs 21 million in the year-ago period, as revenue jumped 14 per cent.
The multi-system operator (MSO) with a pan-India footprint has also improved its net profit from the prior quarter’s figure of Rs 100 million (after minority interest), up by five per cent.
Total income during the quarter rose to Rs 2.56 billion, as against Rs 2.24 billion a year ago. The income is up 3 per cent on QoQ basis (Rs 2.49 billion).
Expenditure rose 8 per cent to Rs 2.20 billion compared to Rs 1.91 billion in the earlier year and 3 per cent compared to Rs 2.14 billion in the first quarter.
Ebitda was at Rs 365 million, up 72 per cent from Rs 212 million in the year. The first quarter Ebitda was at Rs 357 million.
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Meanwhile, in the consolidated cable business, Den posted a net profit of Rs 78 million compared to a net loss of Rs 40 million for the same period last year. When compared to trailing quarter (Rs 75 million), net is up 3 per cent.
Total income during the quarter is up 28 per cent year-on-year and five per cent on sequential quarter basis.
Expenditure went up by 10 per cent to Rs 1.06 billion compared to Rs 966 million in the earlier year, and 6 per cent compared to Rs 1 billion in the first quarter.
Ebitda was at Rs 323 million, up from Rs 119 million in the previous year. The first quarter Ebitda was at Rs 316 million.
During the quarter, Den announced that its subsidiary IME Networks formed a 75-25 Joint Venture with BFTV, owners of BabyFirst, the leading babies channel. The JV will launch the BabyFirst channel in India and a few other countries and will exclusively house all rights for BabyFirst’s businesses in these territories.
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.
