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MSOs swing into action, unveil channel packages
MUMBAI: Decks have been cleared for implementing digitisation in the four metros within the deadline period of 31 October as the four national multi-system operators (MSOs) have announced the much awaited channel packages to sell to their cable TV subscribers.
Hathway Cable & Datacom, Den Networks, Digicable, and Zeel-owned Siti Cable (earlier WWIL) have announced the channel packages and their rates to the consumers who will need to transition to an era away from analogue cable where they were served a fixed bouquet of channels and had to pay one rate. The new prices are exclusive of taxes.
Hathway has three packages with Basic package having 135 channels for Rs 160, Medium package offering 198 channels for Rs 220 and Premium package with 242 channels for Rs 275.
Den is offering 112 channels for Rs 180 in its Pack 1 package, 219 channels for Rs 225 for its Pack 2 offering and 235 channels for Rs 270 for its Pack 3 offering.
Digicable also has three packages – Basic, Gold and Premium – the Basic package will offer 145 channels at Rs 180, while Gold package will provide 151 channels at Rs 200. The Premium package targeted at high-end consumers will have 165 channels at a cost of Rs 250.
Apart from channel packages, Digicable also announced the Basic Service Tier (BST) consisting of at least 100 channels for Rs 100 comprising the Free-to-Air channels. As part of its offering, the MSO is offering 117 channels.
| Name of the Package | No. of Channels | Rate in Rs. ( exclusive of taxes) |
|---|---|---|
| Digicable | ||
| Basic | 145 | 180 |
| Gold | 151 | 200 |
| Premium | 165 | 250 |
| Hathway Cable and Datacom Ltd. | ||
| Basic | 135 | 160 |
| Medium | 198 | 220 |
| Premium | 242 | 275 |
| DEN | ||
| Pack 1 | 112 | 180 |
| Pack 2 | 219 | 225 |
| Pack 3 | 235 | 270 |
| WWIL | ||
| Janta | 118 | 100 |
| Popular 1( Kolkata) | 151 | 150 |
| Popular 2( Mumbai) | 153 | 150 |
| Popular 3( Delhi) | 142 | 150 |
WWIL is the only MSO to have four packages which includes three city specific packages. The Janta package available for WWIL consumers in all three cities has 118 channels for Rs 100, the Popular 1 (Kolkata) package with 151 channels, Popular 2 (Mumbai) package with 153 channels, and Popular 3 (Delhi) package with 142 being offered for a flat rate of Rs 150.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said that consumers will also be given the option of choosing channels from a la carte list. It also revealed that the digitisation percentage in four metro cities has gone up to 73 per cent from 68 per cent.
As per the data provided by MIB, 1.47 million set-top boxes(STBs) have already been installed in Delhi as against the target of 2.47 million with a digitisation rate of 60 per cent. The digitisation progress is 70 per cent if 877,000 lakh DTH subscribers are also taken into consideration.
Delhi has shown good pace of installation of STBs in the last one month and currently about 15000 STBs are being installed per day in the city, the MIB claimed.
The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Act 2011 has made it mandatory for switch over of the existing analogue cable TV Network to Digital Addressable System (DAS) by December 2014 in the entire country in four phases.
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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.
