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India, Japan to collaborate in field of convergence
NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) and the Japanese Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry are to cooperate in the field of convergence of telecom and broadcasting.
A Memorandum signed between the two would also allow mutual sharing of information on best practices between Trai and MIC. The Memorandum was signed by Trai Chairman J S Sarma and Japanese Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Haraguchi Kazuhiro.
Trai and MIC will establish a mechanism of technical and institutional cooperation in the field of telecommunications with the purpose of contributing to development in both the countries. Both are determined to strengthen the ties in the field of telecommunications, by means of the establishment of technical and technological cooperation.
Trai and MIC intend to cooperate in the fields of technological developments and New Technologies; Regulatory Policy; Convergence of Telecom and Broadcasting; Spectrum issues; Green Telecom; and Telecom for development strategy.
The cooperation between both the sides will be carried out through exchange of official information and documentation; dissemination of best practices of regulatory and competitive policy in the field of telecommunications regulation; and bilateral consultations through deployment of experts.
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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.
