Cable TV
Several DAS III petitions may be transferred to Division Bench of Delhi High Court
NEW DELHI: The Digital Addressable System (DAS) Phase III legal wrangle is moving on, albeit slowly and steadily. Lawyers appearing on behalf of the multi-system cable TV operators (MSO) will inform a single-judge bench of the Delhi High Court about a large volume of cases relating to DAS III have challenged constitutional provisions.
Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, will on 18 October 2016, transfer to a Division Bench matters that have challenged provisions in the Constitution. This directive had been given by Justice Sachdeva in the last hearing on 5 October 2016.
Senior lawyers said that as some of the cases were already pending with the bench headed by the Chief Justice, these will go to that bench, and the single bench will continue to hear other petitions.
Justice Sachdeva had last month issued notice on two more petitions related to Phase III of DAS – filed by Om Systems of Mumbai and Digiana.
The cases include an application by the Indian Broadcasting Foundation for being impleaded in the case
The cases that were listed on that day included the Rohtak Cable Operators’ Association, Andhra Pradesh MSOs Welfare Federation, Multi System Operators’ Welfare Association, Sai Big Star Welfare Association, Sree Devi Digital Systems, Federation of Telangana MSO, DEN Manoranjan Satellite, Victory Digital, Sri Chowdeshwary Cable Network, Shyam Baba Cable Network, Panchajanya Media, Bharat Digital Cable Network, and Yogesh Cable Networks.
In the hearing on 26 September 2016, the Dvision bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Ms Sangita Dhingra Sehgal had held that two matters filed by Indusind Media & Communication Ltd and Bhima Riddhi Digital Services were challenging the challenge to the constitutional validity of certain provisions of Maharashtra Entertainment Duty Act, 1923 as amended by Maharashtra Entertainment Duty (Amendment and Continuance) Act, 2014 and not the validity of the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable Services) Interconnection (Digital Addressable Cable Television Systems) Regulations 2012.
The Central Government counsel said appropriate steps would be taken before the Supreme Court to get these matters re-transferred to the respective High Courts and so the cases were adjourned sine die.
Of the remaining, one by Rajasthan Cable Operators Foundation was dismissed as no one appeared for the petitioners, and orders reserved in two others including one by Nasik Zilla Cable Operators Association after hearing. The petition by Radiant Digitek Networks Pvt Ltd was adjourned to mid-October.
The Supreme Court had on 1 April this year accepted the plea of the Central Government that ‘it would be just and proper’ for this Court to transfer to Delhi High Court all cases pending indifferent High Courts, many of which had given injunction orders.
A total of 62 cases had been filed by some multi-system operators (MSOs) in various courts in the country for extension in the deadline of Phase lll. Out of these 62 cases, 12 cases had been disposed off by respective courts and 3 cases had been withdrawn by the petitioners.
(The Bombay High Court had earlier this year made a reference to the Kusum Ingots case which had said that if one high court gives an order, others can give similar orders if similar circumstances exist. indiantelevision.com had reported in January this year that the MIB had told the Punjab and Haryana high court that it had ‘decided not to press the requirement of having a STB as for now till the decision of the cases which are pending before various other high courts’).
Also read:
Notice issued to Union of India on five DAS Phase III petitions
Two more DAS cases put off to Oct. in Delhi HC
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.
