Cable TV
GST: Both good and bad for the Indian cable TV sector
MUMBAI: India’s most ambitious indirect tax reform, the Goods and Service Tax (GST) got the green flag from the Lok Sabah on 8 August.
While, taxation rates under the GST regime are yet to be finalised, an indicative figure of 18 per cent is being talked of in various circles.
Indiantelevision.com has already postulated that DTH companies like Dish TV could be beneficiaries when GST goes live. Broadcasters, however, could be slapped on their wrists as GST is likely to result in their tax payment going up.
However, cable TV distribution sector is going to benefit like its country cousin – the DTH segment. Estimates are that multisystem operators could end up saving around five to 10 per cent in taxes in many Indian states. However, in some the tax payouts could likely go up courtesy GST.
MSOs operating in states like Punjab (with up to Rs 15000 annual entertainment tax), and Gujarat (Rs 6 per cable TV sub per month), Harayana (no tax), Kerala (Rs 5), Orissa (Rs 3) are going to be impacted negatively with their tax bill climbing up once GST becomes applicable. Other states like Maharashtra (Rs 45 per month subscriber), Jharkhand with Rs 30-50 per month per subscriber, Rs 20 in Delhi, Bihar Rs 15 per month per subscriber, will see a lightening of their tax burden.
Says a cable TV industry observer: “Cable operators normally maintain three sets of books. One for the tax folks, one for the content providers, and one which has the real facts about their business. Many of them are not tax payers at all. Under the new regime, they will have to clean up their acts, get their registration done, get their subscriber information all in order. And then pay their GST. That’s even if their margins keep coming under pressure on account of this.”
Keep watching this space for further updates!
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.
