Applications
Tata Sky offers Marathi channels free
MUMBAI: In a bid to increase its share in the Maharashtra region, direct-to-home (DTH) operator Tata Sky is offering all Marathi channels free of cost to its subscribers.
Tata Sky offers 11 Marathi channels – 24 Taas, ETV Marathi, IBN Lokmat, Mi Marathi, Sanskar TV, Star Majha, Star Pravah, Zee Marathi, Zee Talkies and Saam TV – on its platform.
The company has announced that all these channels will be a part of the base pack and made available absolutely free.
Tata Sky CMO Vikram Mehra said, “Maharashtra is a very important market for Tata Sky. We are positive with the availability of these channels, our subscribers will continue to enjoy the best of Marathi TV and keep themselves updated on all the latest current affairs news across the region in the comfort of their homes. As a customer focus brand, these channels have been made available absolutely free which
reconfirms our commitment to add the very best to Tata Sky’s growing portfolio of channels and further enhance the entertainment quotient of Tata Sky to a higher level.”
Tata Sky also provides Actve Stories in Marathi which is part of the Fun Learning Pack available for Rs 40 per month. It is a TV based story book that children can read and listen to at their own pace. The service features new stories everyday from the Panchatantra, Jataka tales and Hitopadesh.
The Pack also includes other interactive services like Actve Wizkids, Actve Learning and Cbeebies.
Applications
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.
