Applications
HomeShop18.com acquires online books retailer
MUMBAI: e-commerce company HomeShop18.com has acquired online books retailer CoinJoos.com.
The acquisition is expected to help HomeShop18.com strengthen its books business and tap the books market accessing the technology and resources of CoinJoos.com in the next few months.
HomeShop18 is working towards launching an online book store in the next few months, the company said.
HomeShop18 CEO Sundeep Malhotra says, “We are delighted to announce this acquisition. Our vision is to be the largest e-commerce company in Indiaand we are investing heavily in cutting edge technology, warehousing and logistics capabilities to provide a world-class online shopping experience to Indian consumers. Books are the key focus area for us.”
Books as a category is essential for an e-commerce business as it attracts a niche set of customers online and at the same time, helps boost repeat transactions. With distribution setup and industry partnerships, the e-commerce site is now focusing on the books business.
Coinjoos.com CEO Nitin Gupta adds “Over last 2 years, CoinJoos technology and processes were designed keeping in mind a single goal – to delight customers. We are very excited that CoinJoos is finding the perfect fit with India‘s top e-commerce site, where we would be able to scale the books business to new heights and provide immense value to Indian consumers.”
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.
