Cable TV
Justice Sachdeva refuses more time for cable digitisation
MUMBAI: The Delhi High Court has asked two cable operators to ensure that all analogue connections are converted to digital by 24 November while denying grant of any further time for installation of digital set-top boxes. The central government had asked all cable operators to install set-top boxes by 31 December, 2016.
Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva ordered the cable operators to make sure that the conversion is over by 24 November, and all its subscribers are clearly informed about the switchover.
“The notification was issued by the Government on 11 November, 2011. Around five years have elapsed from the said date when the operators were made aware that they have to change over to DAS. The petition was filed in February, 2016, and now we are in November. The petitioners have already got sufficient time to complete the installation of set-top boxes and the changeover to DAS. Even post the filing of the present petition, approximately nine months have passed,” the court noted as it said there was no justification for granting more time.
The two cable operators had gone to court seeking time for installation of STBs while appealing that, till the completion of the installation, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting be restrained from discontinuing supply of analogue signal.
On 3 November 2016, the Indian Broadcasting Foundation hailed the order passed by the Delhi High Court dismissing nine DAS-related petitions. The petitions also dealt with the time extension for implementing digital addressable system (DAS) in certain areas of Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and Uttar Pradesh under Phase-III, the deadline for which had expired on 31 December 2015. There is however no change in DAS Phase IV deadline, which continues to be 31 December 2016. With the dismissal of these petitions, the stay granted by various high courts in areas covered by the above-mentioned nine cases stands vacated and will no longer apply.
Meanwhile around 30 more multi-system operators (MSOs) received provisional registration in October. The total of MSOs has risen to 1033 with just around seven weeks to go for switching off analogue signals and completion of digital addressable system for cable television in India. While the total of provisional licences as on 31 October went up from 774 to 804, the number of permanent licences (10 years) remained static at 229.
Cable TV
Hathway Cable appoints Gurjeev Singh Kapoor as CEO
Leadership change comes as cable TV faces shrinking subscriber base and modest earnings pressure
MUMBAI: Hathway Cable and Datacom has tapped industry veteran Gurjeev Singh Kapoor as chief executive officer, marking a leadership pivot at a time when India’s cable television business is under mounting strain.
Kapoor will take over from Tavinderjit Singh Panesar, who is set to retire in August after a long innings with the company. Panesar, chief executive since 2023, has held multiple leadership roles at Hathway, including his latest stint beginning in 2022.
Kapoor brings more than three decades of experience in media and entertainment. He most recently led distribution at The Walt Disney Company’s Star India business, now part of JioStar. His career spans television distribution and affiliate partnerships, with stints at Sony Pictures Networks India, Discovery Communications and Zee Entertainment.
Panesar, with over three decades in the industry, has worked across strategic planning, distribution and business development in media, broadcasting and manufacturing. His past associations include ESPN Star Sports, Star India, Apollo Tyres and JK Industries.
The transition lands as the cable sector grapples with structural disruption. Traditional operators are losing ground to streaming platforms, while telecom and broadband players tighten the squeeze with bundled offerings.
An EY report estimates India’s pay-TV base could shrink by a further 30 to 40 million households by 2030, taking the total down to 71 to 81 million. The slide follows a loss of nearly 40 million homes between 2018 and 2024, a contraction that has already wiped out more than 37,000 jobs in the local cable operator ecosystem.
Hathway’s numbers reflect the strain. The company reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 93 crore for FY25, down from Rs 99 crore a year earlier. Revenue inched up to Rs 2,040 crore from Rs 1,981 crore. As of December 2025, it had about 4.7 million cable TV subscribers and roughly 1.02 million broadband users.
Kapoor steps in with a familiar brief but a shrinking playbook. In a market where viewers are cutting cords faster than companies can reinvent them, the new chief executive inherits a business fighting to stay plugged in.
