Applications
Times Internet launches new programme for budding entrepreneurs
MUMBAI: Times Internet Limited (TIL) has launched a new mentorship programme under TLabs that aims to encourage new businesses in the field of technology, mobile and internet to develop their products. The applications are now open for the programme that will commence in February 2012.
TIL CEO Rishi Khiani said, “We want to make this a very high quality program, with very significant value addition to support entrepreneurs as well as the entire innovative ecosystem.”
TIL will shortlist 10 business ideas that are innovative and marketable and help the entrepreneurs with an initial seed fund of up to Rs 1 million. The company will also offer mentorship by experienced and knowledgeable individuals of the industry through personal interaction once a week over dinner.
Entrepreneurs will also have rehearsal demos for the project before they ultimately present their ideas and come face to face with angel investors and venture capitalists with whom they can interact independently.
TIL director e-Commerce and technology Gautam Sinha said, “What sets the program apart is the access to TIL‘s infrastructure and domain expertise. This gives entrepreneurs at TLabs the edge over other start-ups right from the beginning.”
Co-founder of one of the participating start ups Karthik Bettadapura said, “Being chosen by TLabs strengthens our belief in our product offering. The experience of the Indiatimes network‘s mentoring and the infrastructure support has already begun to show in the way we work and in the way we are perceived.”
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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.
