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Moser Baer signs $880 million sourcing deal with REC Group
MUMBAI: Moser Baer Photo Voltaic Ltd (MBPV), a subsidiary of the Moser Baer India Ltd. and the Norway based REC Group, have signed a take-and-pay contract pegged at approximately $ 880 million. The deal involves the sale and delivery of high quality multicrystalline silicon wafers by REC to MBPV over an eight-year period beginning from 2008. MBPV CEO Ravi Khanna said, “We greatly value the technical, managerial and operation capabilities of REC and we believe that this strategic sourcing deal is a win-win situation for both sides. It will provide a long term customer for REC and an assured supply of high grade silicon, wafers to MBPV.” Globally, given the rapid growth of the photovoltaic industry, there is a shortage of silicon wafers, a key raw material for the photovoltaic industry. While the demand continues unabated, the supply is expected to remain tight in the near to medium term. An assured supply of silicon wafer will provide a significant competitive advantage to MBPV in the current industry scenario, states an official release.
The contract follows MBPV’s strategic sourcing initiative with Deutsche Solar and its acquisition of a 40 per cent strategic equity stake in the Slovenia-based Solarvalue Proizvodnja d.d. which plans to set up a capacity of 4,400 tonnes of solar grade silicon by end 2008.
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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.
