Applications
US wants India to have free satellite policy for DTH
MUMBAI: Direct-to-home (DTH) operators in India have found support from outside home. Saddled with high entertainment taxes and transponder space crunch, they have always complained that the Indian government has not incentivised this ‘sunrise‘ sector.
Now the US wants India to have a free policy on the leasing of satellite space to the DTH operator.
In a report, the US Trade Representative (USTR) has stated that it will “encourage” India to amend its policies which assigns exclusive rights to the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) for selling the satellite capacity to the DTH television market.
USTR has raised concerns over India not allowing foreign operators to participate in direct selling of satellite capacity to the DTH market, reported PTI.
The American report has also blamed India for “lack of transparency in the rules governing the provisions of satellite capacity”.
It said foreign operators are needed to first sell the capacity to India‘s domestic satellite operator, the Isro, which resells the same to the DTH customers and maintains ownership of the customers.
The report stated that a similar situation prevails in China, adding that the USTR “will encourage these countries to consider changes to their respective frameworks”.
On data encryption requirement for the telecom equipment, the US trade office would ask India to devise a policy which does not deviate from “commonly accepted or best practices”.
The report said the US concerns are in the wake of apprehensions over India‘s stringent and burdensome encryption requirements.
“The USTR will continue to engage India to seek ways to ensure US telecommunication companies can effectively protect information, while also respecting security concerns of the Indian government,” PTI quoted from the report.
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.
