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Growth in India, Japan dominates second day of Casbaa Convention
MUMBAI: While technology and content innovation held the stage during the second day of the Casbaa Convention 2011, the growth prospects for Japan and digital developments in India hallmarked the day‘s debates.
Even though development of the multichannel advertising revenue stream remains a key challenge for international players in Japan, the vice minister of Policy Coordination, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Tetsuo Yamakawa, along with the industry leadership from dominant cable operator J:COM, DTH operator SKY Perfect JSAT and premium movie channel WOWOW made the case for a step change in the prospects for the pay-TV industry in the world‘s third largest economy.
The opportunities created by the potential for digital deployments in India‘s vast cable, satellite and content markets sparked lively discussion, with Jawahar Goel MD of Indian DTH provider Dish TV and Ravi Mansukhani MD of leading cable operator IMCL anticipating a huge increase in localized and value added content. However, each of the Indian speakers recognized that enacting a recent government ordinance on digitisation is just one step in a process.
Envisaging the future for the communications sector technical services provider Globecast Worldwide chairman and CEO Olivier Barberot in Paris, projected a key to success for TV services is to master multiple screens as part of a single experience.
Casbaa CEO Simon Twiston Davies said, “Our industry is at a tipping point at a truly remarkable time in its history. The thirst for content is unanimous across Asia and the challenge of managing innovations in technology and networks to meet this demand is inspiring.”
In the concluding stages of the Convention 2011, Casbaa chairman Marcel Fenez announced that Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific president, MD Tom Keaveny had been awarded the prestigious CASBAA Chairman‘s Award for his contributions to the development of Pay-TV in the region and his tireless work explaining the overall value of Pay TV to advertisers.
The Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award from CASBAA, ABU and UNICEF was awarded to Shizuoka Telecasting of Japan for its documentary “Iori and Ibuki ~ Why We Were Born”, as the best television programme produced in the Asia-Pacific region with a focus on children‘s rights.
Finally, closing the Casbaa Convention 2011, Richard Li Tzar Kai was awarded Casbaa‘s Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition for his outstanding contributions to the Asian pay-TV and broadcasting industry, with the founding of STAR TV in 1991 and the 2003 launch of the pioneer IPTV service, now TV, in Hong Kong.
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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.
