Cable TV
Hathway’s Jagdish Kumar bags Outstanding CEO of the Year (MSO) award
MUMBAI: Hathway Cable and Datacom managing director and CEO Jagdish Kumar was awarded the ‘Most Outstanding CEO of the Year (MSO)’ at the 6th edition of BCS Ratna Awards 2015 organized by Aavishkar media group on 19 March, 2015 at the Kingdom of Dreams in Gurgaon. The awards saw a gathering of eminent personalities from the cable, satellite and broadcasting industry.
He was recognized for leading Hathway through the critical digitization phase of the cable TV industry by successfully implementing Phase I and II of digitization, building a robust broadband business and pushing the envelope by rolling-out the packaging model, which is the next reality of the digital cable TV industry.
Under his leadership, Hathway has attained leadership position in the digital cable TV market, gearing up for Phase III and IV of digitization and steering the company’s strong business portfolio including HD and broadband towards profitability.
Hathway was also conferred with the ‘Best MSO of the Year’ and the ‘Most Outstanding MSO Broadband Service Provider’ for its efforts in taking the digitization mandate forward aggressively and offering broadband services with unique features to its customer base, respectively.
On this recognition by the industry, Kumar stated, “This award is for the excellent team at Hathway, which is one of the best in the industry. It’s a privilege and honor for me to lead this dedicated team, which has made Hathway, the leading digital cable and broadband services company in the country.”
Instituted in the year 2010 and organized annually by Aavishkar Media Group, one of the forerunner groups in the Indian Broadcasting & CATV Industry since 25 years, BCS Ratna awards is one of India’s Biggest Awards on Broadcasting, Cable TV, DTH, New Technology, Distribution & Digital Media Industry and is judged by an esteemed panel of experts from across the media fraternity.
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.
