Cable TV
Den Network gets board nod to include primary market route for foreign investment
MUMBAI: Den Network’s board of directors has given its nod for filing of application to Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) for modification of the approval to include the primary market route as well.
The primary market route could include issuance of long term securities including equity, quasi equity, GDR, QIP, FCCB, preferential allotment, bonds or any other appropriate securities, subject to the approval of the shareholders and all other applicable laws and statutory approvals as may be required.
The board considered that the company has already got the approval from FIPB, Ministry of Finance on 14 August, 2015 to increase foreign investment limit in the company beyond 49 per cent and up-to 74 per cent by FIIs, NRIs, FPls and other eligible foreign investors through the route of secondary market and open market purchase.
It may be recalled that late last month, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) too gave the company its approval for foreign investors to raise their stake in the company up to 74 per cent.
At the end of the September quarter (Q2-2016), foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) held a 22.79 per cent stake in the company, whereas the promoters’ stake in the cable operator was 40.05 per cent.
The company’s Board of Directors, at its meeting held on 3 November, also approved the resignation of nominee director of the company Shahzaad S Dalal.
Den also approved the appointment of Krishna Kumar as non executive nominee director of the company.
Den Network will also seek approval from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and statutory authorities for the appointment of Archana Hingorani as non-executive nominee director.
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.
