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IT and IT-enabled services help boom in Indian service sector
NEW DELHI: Significant growth in information technology and IT-enabled services among other fields have contributed to a boom in services exports from the country in recent years. According to the Economic and Social Survey for 2007 by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, India is now the 18th largest exporter of services in the world, with its share in world exports rising from 0.6% in 1990 to 1.8% in 2004. |
The report released here today at a function where Commerce Minister Kamal Nath was present stated that India maintained its growth momentum in 2006 with GDP growing at 9.2% – a higher percentage than the 9% achieved in 2005. UNESCAP Under Secretary General Kim Hak-Su was also present. |
While there was some deceleration in agriculture, both industry and services performed well over the year. Strong economic performance has generated growing private sector demand for transport, communications, financial services and trade-related activities. This – together with the rapid increase in spending on public administration, social services, rural extension services and defense – has pushed up the share of services in GDP to 55.1% in 2006. Investment demand is also up – with gross domestic investment increasing from 33.8% of GDP in 2005 to 35.1% in 2006. The report said India is emerging as a force in manufacturing exports. Until recently, India’s services exports, especially those related to outsourcing and IT, have been a success story. But manufacturing exports have surged, growing 37.3% year-on-year in United States dollar terms between April and September 2006. |
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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.
