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Star Ananda & Star Majha launch in US via GEN-I
MUMBAI: Star Ananda and Star Majha, the two regional news channels from the Media Content & Communications Services India (MCCS) stable, has launched in the US via GEN-I.
Globosat Entertainment (GEN-I) has got the mandate to distribute the Bengali and Marathi news channels in the US and Canada.
“We are happy to launch Star Ananda and Star Majha in the US through our associates GEN-I. Both the channels have always been ambitious, innovative, and trend setters and after consolidating the leadership in India, we have decided to take the brands to the world. The US has a sizeable Bengali and Marathi population who want to be in regular touch with their roots. Star Ananda and Star Majha will definitely be able to fill this gap,” said MCCS CEO Ashok Venkatramani.
Both Star Ananda and Star Majha will be available on Dish Network across USA. “Star Ananda, the 67th South Asian channel in our bouquet, further entrenches us as the leader in South Asian television entertainment space”, said Dish Network VP, international programming Chris Kuelling.
“Globosat Entertainment is privileged and honored to partner with MCCS for the distribution of their premiere news networks, Star Ananda and Star Majha, in North America,” added GEN-I director Adris Chakraborty.
MCCS is a 74:26 joint venture between ABP TV and Star News Broadcasting.
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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.
