Applications
IndiaCast appoints Govind Shahi as biz head for UK and Europe
MUMBAI: IndiaCast Media Distribution, a JV between TV18 and Viacom18, has appointed Govind Shahi as the business head for its UK and Europe operations.
The company has recently opened a new office in London to manage distribution, marketing and advertising sales for Colors UK and other upcoming channels from the group.
The London office is the third International office, after opening offices in the US and the UAE. It is in line with the group’s overall expansion strategy of taking Viacom18 and TV 18 brands overseas.
Shahi will be managing IndiaCast’s operations in the UK. He will report to IndiaCast COO Gaurav Gandhi.
Gandhi said, “UK is a key market for Indian entertainment, which has been amply demonstrated with the response that we have received for our flagship brand Colors. Given our expansion plans in the market, Govind is best suited, with his understanding and experience of the UK and Europe market, to take our business to the next level.”
Shahi added, “I am delighted to be part of this dynamic team at IndiaCast. Colors has made a tremendous mark in the UK market in a short span of two years. There are exciting plans for expansion into this territory in the near future. I look forward to using my experience and knowledge to the best of abilities for the growth of this fast growing organisation.”
Prior to joining IndiaCast, Shahi was with the Heath Media group as a co-promoter. He has also worked with Zee as business head for Europe operations.
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.
