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I&B Ministry wants to raise FDI to help digitisation
NEW DELHI: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has decided to make changes in the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy to aid the process of digitisation.
In its Strategy Plan of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry 2011-17, the Ministry noted that it will make appropriate policy formulations to increase FDI in order to meet the expenditure on digitalisation.
It will also work with the Finance Ministry for devising incentives for digitalisation such as reduction of custom duties and tax holiday on digital equipment.
In the report, the Ministry noted that out of the 106 million Cable and Satellite homes in the country, 26 million are DTH and 80 million are cable homes. Thus 74 per cent of TV subscribers in India are depending on cable networks for entertainment. Since cable networks have limited carriage capacity of channels, it is imperative that the cable sector be entirely digitalised as number of channels is growing at a rapid pace.
Meanwhile, for Doordarshan, the Strategy Plan says the telecaster plans to produce 15,067 episodes for various channels in the next three years. Of this, 12,400 episodes will be made in-house and 2,667 episodes commissioned through outside producers. DD will develop and improve content delivery to the rest of the world on essentially four channels, DD News, DD Sports, DD Bharati and DD India.
Doordarshan is presently operating 35 satellite channels and has a network of 66 studios and 1415 transmitters providing TV coverage to about 92 per cent population of the country.
The Government has also decided to formulate policy guidelines for provision of Mobile TV services in India as mobile screen is becoming the fourth screen to the consumers after cinema, TV and computers across the world.
The ministry believes that the mobile “is the best platform for delivering the benefits of television and mobile communications in one device.”
The ministry believes that mobile “is the best platform for delivering the benefits of television and mobile communications in one device.”
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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.
