Cable TV
No phoney deal; MTNL gets serious about cable TV services
Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited is seeking consultants for its proposed foray into the field of cable TV and associated services in Delhi and Mumbai.
The state run telecom behemoth has stipulated a minimum annual turnover of Rs 250 million for the firm that offers its consultancy services. The Nigam, in a press notice inviting tenders for the consultancy, has asked for details of experience in cable TV consultancy from the firms applying for the deal, as well as details of professional expertise of the key personnel and of specialised manpower, a list of the firms’ major clients, outstanding achievements and awards.
Last week, minister of state for telecom Tapan Sikdar had announced the government’s intention to enter the cable television business along with a government owned broadcaster. Sikdar had told Parliament that MTNL, being a provider of fixed line, cellular and Internet access services in the two metropolises, could meet customers’ needs of entertainment, information and education with such an alliance.
MTNL, Sikdar said, would be granted an alliance to start a cable network using its optic fibre and copper cable network in the two cities. The Nigam would use content provided by Prasar Bharati to offer multimedia services and give customers access to streaming video, he said.
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.
