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Parliamentary committee presses for gaming centre
NEW DELHI: A Parliamentary Standing Committee has urged the government to take expeditious steps to set up a national centre of excellence for animation, gaming and special effects to cater to the burgeoning industry in these fields. Even as a proposal has been pending before the Planning Commission for including this Centre in the Eleventh Five Year Plan on a public-private partnership, the Standing Committee on information technology which deals with issues related to information and broadcasting has estimated that the Centre’s share would be around Rs 750 million. However, the budgetary allocation for this purpose during 2007-08 is only Rs one million. Earlier, a committee set up by the Ministry had estimated that on an average, at least 3000 trained personnel would be needed every year for the burgeoning fields of animation and gaming, and the special effects is also expected to grow at similar levels. The Committee had been set up to identify new opportunities in the areas of information, communication and entertainment where the state needs to play a pro-active role. |
The Standing Committee headed by member of Parliament Nikhil Kumar noted that it had been informed that sizeable investment is being done in the areas of gaming, animation and special effects in places like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Goa. It has therefore said that the growing demand of skilled manpower increases the significance of such and the Centre should pursue and implement the project at the earliest. This may also need the appointment of a consultant and state-of-the-art technology, highly skilled manpower and huge investment, the Committee adds. |
The National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) has estimated that the Indian gaming industry which largely depends on animation, presently estimated at $100 million, is expected to triple by 2009 to $300 million. This signifies a growth of 94 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR). Interestingly, this segment was estimated at only $30 million in 2005 and $8 million in 2003, showing a CAGR of 78 per cent. Of this, mobile gaming contributes 58 per cent of the total revenue and can go up to 70 per cent with increase in use of mobile phones. Gaming includes consoles, online, multiplayer, casual and mobile games, according to another report by global consultancy firm KPMG. Meanwhile, the Committee has also strongly deprecated the delay in implementation of the project for setting up of a Museum of Moving Images by the Films Division and said this should be done in right earnest and its timely completion should be ensured. Noting that the project was first conceived during the Tenth Plan, the Committee observes that the only steps taken so far are the Memorandum of Understanding with the National Building Construction Corporation for preparation of a detailed project report. |
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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.
