Applications
Digitisation to drive TV market in India: Casbaa
NEW DELHI: The Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) has said that India needs to follow a road map that is pro-consumer and in favour of digitisation.
“Service providers can provide best services for everyone only when the environment for them is conducive and profitable,” according to Casbaa CEO Simon Twiston Davies. “A light handed approach to regulation is necessary for a robust growth of the sector.”
In the recent Casbaa meet here, the industry leadership highlighted that digital sports content will be one of the most effective tools for promoting advanced services such as broadband-based IPTV, HDTV and digital cable.
“The introduction of 3G and HDTV along with the staging of the Commonwealth Games in October will boost new media growth,” said Indian Broadcasting Foundation President Jawahar Goel who is also Dish TV MD. “Regional areas where billions of subscribers need broadband services are the silver lining for this industry.”
According to IPTV Forum India Chairman Shyamal Ghosh, the Fifa World Cup will certainly create new demand for IPTV. “Before the Commonwealth Games 2010 starts, IPTV and mobile TV should be pushed.”
Reliance Big Entertainment President Rajesh Sawhney said, “IPTV is a sexy technology and along with HDTV and 3G it will change the future of our industry. On the content side, conditions are just right. . . . If we digitise, we will see around 500 channels in India with more regional channels.”
Despite issues yet to be addressed for the India’s communications sector, regional satellite operators are still very optimistic with the local business opportunities.
“There is vast potential for satellite services in this market. But we also need a regulatory environment that enables more spectrum that can propel HD platforms,” Measat (Commercial Operations) VP Terry Bleakley.
“I see India as a most dynamic market. There is a huge demand for satellite services in military, DTH and many other services in India, and I believe that this productive demand will keep rising. However, easy access technology for Internet growth is still required,” said Srini Prasanna who is Vice President, Business Development & Regulatory Affairs, Asia Broadcast Satellite.
During the meet on the theme of “On the Digital Edge – Where Broadband HITS the Streets”, the government expressed its commitment to the long-awaited harmonisation of the multiple taxes and tariffs affecting India ‘s satellite, DTH, cable TV and IPTV sectors. Broadcasters, operators and technology vendors believe this is essential if India is to achieve its goals of industry-wide digital networks.
During a keynote address, Information and Broadcasting Ministry Special Secretary Uday K Varma said the time frame for digitisation needs to be “staggered” in view of the number of TV homes and players in the market. Digitisation, he said, is essential if the need for greater transparency and accountability for investment is to be met.
Most recent data shows some 84 million (overwhelmingly) analogue cable TV homes, with 18 million DTH households. There are less than seven million digital cable and IPTV homes in India.
Andrea Appella, Director of Legal, Competition and Regulatory Affairs for News Corp in Asia & Europe, noted that rapid pay-TV market growth follows the implementation of light-touch regulatory policies. Governments should reserve intervention in wholesale TV markets for cases where market failure can be proven, he said.
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.
