Applications
Zynga launches creative development studio in India
BANGALORE : US-based social games developer Zynga Inc, which had launched operations in India a year ago, today announced the official launch of Zynga Studio-I in Bangalore.
The expanded studio will develop new game mechanics, in-game features and creative elements of an array of Zynga’s most popular games.
Zynga also announced plans to double the headcount in India during 2011, further reinforcing its commitment to this market.
Zynga plans user-focused initiatives along with activities such as fan and community events. It has held an event with its fan community in Bangalore some time ago.
The expansion of its India operations comes on the heels of the recent launch of Zynga Game Cards in India, which provide an easy way for players to purchase virtual goods within games.
As the largest Zynga studio outside of the US, Studio-I will focus on innovative game development to create new features that it says will delight players. Additionally, the studio will be engaged in full life-cycle game development, the same as other already existing studios.
To aid this growth, Zynga India will continue to recruit engineers, product managers, game designers, artists and senior management to strategically grow operations. These professionals are expected to have an eye for gaming and experience of handling large volume environments, graphics, networking, cloud computing and security among other expertise.
“In only one year, India has made exciting advancements in technology that have truly improved efficiency for the entire company,” said Zynga India Country Manager Shan Kadavil. “With the launch of Studio-I, we are expanding our capabilities to leverage the amount of creative talent based in India for new features within Zynga’s popular games. We are looking for more people with an entrepreneurial drive combined with engineering and artistic skills to join our exciting and growing team.”
Zynga is known across the globe for its widely popular games such as CityVille, FarmVille, Mafia Wars, YoVille and FishVille.
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.
