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UTV eyes strategic investor in console gaming arm
MUMBAI: UTV Software Communications is planning to divest stake in its UK-based console gaming subsidiary, UTV Ignition.
The company is looking at a strategic investor that would infuse fresh capital for funding UTV Ignition’s next phase of growth.
UTV has already pumped in $70 million to seed UTV Ignition’s growth. The subsidiary company, in which UTV Software Communications holds 90 per cent stake, has developed 3 AAA IPs and two smaller IPs that are set for release.
“We are looking at diluting stake in Ignition to a strategic investor. We will be even comfortable with a 50:50 joint venture. The fresh round of capital will help Ignition to scale up from 2-3 games to 5-6,” says UTV Software Communications managing director Ronnie Screwvala.
UTV Ignition is set to first release El Sheddai this year, a game developed from its Japanese studio. The other two big bang IPs – Reich and War Devil – are set for release next year.
UTV Ignition has also developed two smaller IPs – Hells Cook and Dragons Crown.
UTV expects to get a revenue of Rs 3 billion this fiscal from its console gaming business. UTV Ignition earned a revenue of around Rs 650 million in the last fiscal.
UTV has created the games on multi platforms – PS3 and Xbox 360. They can later go on to more platforms including PC.
“The break even quantity per game works out to around 1 million units for us. There is a dearth of AAA IP games due to the global economic downturn. The timing is good for us,” says Screwvala.
UTV is eyeing Rs 500 million and Ebitda margins of 10-15 per cent in FY’11 from its mobile games division, carried out through UTV Indiagames. The mobile games subsidiary, in which UTV holds 60 per cent stake, has exclusive rights to develop IPL mobile games.
“UTV Indiagames has an exclusive games channel on Reliance Big TV. We will make two more DTH announcements soon,” says Screwvala.
On the online games front, UTV expects to post a revenue of Rs 400 million and have operating margins of 15 per cent.
UTV Software Communications has deployed Rs 5.56 billion towards the gaming segment.
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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.
