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Micromax joins Nazara Technologies to preload Electronic Arts games
NEW DELHI: Micromax Informatics has entered into an agreement with Nazara Technologies to embed, try and buy versions of popular high end game titles from leading publishers such as Electronic Arts.
Nazara is the exclusive partner for EA in India and will offer over 40 key titles from the EA catalogue to Micromax consumers. These include popular titles such as Need for Speed, Tetris, Monopoly, EA Cricket 11, Harry Potter, GI Joe and Medal of Honor.
The games will be available on Micromax handsets on a try and buy model wherein the customer will be able to play each game free for up to five times. After the free trial period, consumers could either purchase the game outright for Rs 49/Rs 99 or access the games through micro transactions for as low as Rs three for a day pass. Billing is enabled through all carrier channels.
Nazara CEO Nitish Mittersain said: “The combination of high quality titles from our key partners such as EA with a leading handset partner such as Micromax, will make high quality gaming more accessible to consumers. We are focusing on affordable pricing and easy access to high quality titles from premium publishers such as EA to make gaming mass market in India. As a next step, we will also be experimenting with free to consumer games that will be monetized through in-game advertising and virtual goods.”
Micromax business director Vikas Jain added: “We are extremely delighted to partner with Nazara and hence bring an experience delivery to our consumers. The idea is simple to provide a differential experience to our customers through Micromax devices coming bundled with content that consumers want and are not restricted to download as the option. Gaming has always been very central to Micromax plans of reaching out to the youth of the country and the partnership with Nazara helps us to reach out to our consumers and thank them for their unstinted support to Micromax in the growth story. We are sure our customers will like the partnership and provide us encouragement to enter into similar alliances.”
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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.
