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iBibo.com starts talent hunt for online serial
MUMBAI: Indian social networking site ibibo.com has launched the first of its kind talent hunt initiative ibibo i-Serial Star, wherein it is calling in users to write, direct and act for an Internet serial.
The 24-episodic (webisodes) series will be generated by users and will have eight actors, two directors and two scriptwriters who will work behind and in front of the camera.
The website has also roped in Maruti Suzuki as title sponsor for the initiative. The contest – ‘The Maruti Suzuki Ibibo i- Serial Star’ will have a panel of judges comprising Raman Kumar, who created Tara for Zee TV and Khalid Hashmi who launched Zee News.
Users will have to only create their profiles on ibibo.com and upload videos, scripts and get maximum votes. The contest has been divided into three broad categories-acting, directing and scriptwriting.
The contestants who have to audition for the acting category have to upload their video enacting any scene in any movie, create a profile and get ibibo community to vote for them.
In the direction category, participants have to upload a short film or a serial directed by them and try to win maximum votes. Those trying their luck at scriptwriting will have to upload an original script or dialogues up to a maximum of 500 words.
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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.
