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Post-IPO, Sameer Manchanda & associates to hold 53% in DEN
MUMBAI: IBN18 Broadcast Ltd joint managing director Sameer Manchanda and associates own 62.65 per cent stake in DEN Networks Ltd, a leading multi-system operator (MSO) jointly promoted with Raghav Bahl. DEN Networks also holds a 50 per cent stake in Star DEN, a joint venture distribution company with Star. Following the proposed initial public offering (IPO), the holding of Manchanda and associates will drop to 53.15 per cent. |
TV18 Group founder Bahl currently holds 9.80 per cent in DEN Networks. This will fall to just over 7 per cent after the IPO. Post-IPO, the stake of IL&FS will drop from 11.8 per cent to 9.8 per cent. IL&FS had invested around Rs 2 billion in DEN. As reported earlier in Indiantelevision.com, DEN is considering a pre-IPO placement. The company is planning to raise $100 million and has filed with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi). DEN plans to invest Rs 2.1 billion in digital cable TV infrastructure out of the proceeds of the IPO and Rs 250 million for cable broadband infrastructure and services. A further Rs 400 million will be utilised for repayment of loan and Rs 100 million for acquisition of content and broadcasting. The company intends to put in Rs 1.65 billion for digital set-top boxes (STBs) out of the Rs 2.1 billion it has set aside for cable TV infrastructure. Head-ends (digital and analogue) will take away Rs 149.75 million. |
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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.
