Applications
Vertical integration dominates panel discussion
GOA: “The issue of how distribution pipes develop in India is important, just like other parts in the world – do you want to be a dumb pipe or an intelligent pipe?” asked Star India president and general counsel Deepak Jacob “so one of the important things the regulators need to be careful about on cross media ownership for instance is not to discourage vertical integration but encourage the process.”
“This benefits the consumer in the long-term especially if there is effective competition at the last mile; look at the US, where Comcast has ownership of NBC, for instance, or other markets, where vertical integration has helped provide real differentiation for the consumer, “ added Jacob.
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“Differentiated and local pipes are important,” said DEN chairman Sameer Manchanda. “Look, we in cable have an enormous advantage in our strength of locality and we need to capitalise on this.”
“In DTH, I don’t see us as just a technology pipe – we curate, package and run a very modern and innovative HD business, providing real estate for lots of content and lots of new services,” said Tata Sky CEO Harit Nagpal.
“I also don’t think the regulators have created too many stumbling blocks; the main issue is that we as an industry should not run to the regulator to solve our problem. It impedes business models. We need to work out our own solutions.”
TRAI principal advisor M Parameswaran concluded: “Look, we at TRAI do not want to be a micro regulator; we want the industry to enable its own business models.”
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.
