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Atria inks deal with NDS to push digitisation
MUMBAI: NDS, now part of Cisco, is providing a suite of video technologies to enable multi system operator (MSO) Atria Convergence Technologies (ACT) to digitise and expand its cable TV service in Southern and Western India.
ACT currently has over one million analogue cable TV, digital TV, IPTV and broadband subscribers. With the launch of improved digital cable packages, the company aims to expand its digital customer base across its operations.
To enable the launch, NDS is providing ACT with industry-leading solutions that will help secure revenues and provide enhanced functionality for subscribers, including VideoGuard conditional access (CA), MediaHighway set-top box software, and a bespoke branded electronic programme guide (EPG); the new digital service will also support interactive features such as games and TV apps.
¨ NDS‘ technologies will enable ACT to rapidly scale its offering to meet demand and deploy innovative new services including High Definition channels.
¨ In addition to attracting new customers with more compelling TV packages, supporting more channels with higher quality, ACT will also be able to take advantage of new monetisation opportunities within the new EPG. The NDS Dynamic Advanced Advertising solution will allow ACT to integrate localised advertising inventory into the EPG home page and incorporate banner advertising.
Atria Convergence Technologies MD Sunder Raju said, “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to broaden our subscriber base in our core market and extend into new territories. NDS was clearly the right technology partner for us, offering proven technology and an understanding of our market with a particularly strong delivery and support team.”
NDS India country head, GM Jayant Changrani said, “Competition is increasing in India as cable TV operators work aggressively to acquire more and more subscribers before the switchover from analogue. Cost, innovation and time to market are all prime considerations and our work with ACT demonstrates once again how we can give customers the edge they need to stand out.”
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.
