DTH
Harit Nagpal’s second literary act: why binary thinking is killing your career
MUMBAI: Harit Nagpal isn’t interested in either/or. The chief executive of Tata Play—India’s largest content distribution platform—has spent four decades navigating cosmetics, cooking oils, colas, clothing, communication and content, and he’s learnt something valuable: the best decisions rarely come from choosing between the options you’re given. They come from inventing the one you weren’t.
His new book, Pivot: Between Two Options, Pick the Third, published by Westland Business, launched on Amazon on 24 November 2025 at Rs 499 (currently discounted 23 per cent to Rs 383). It’s a 164-page distillation of that philosophy, wrapped around the story of Neel, an ordinary middle-class boy whose life becomes a case study in counterintuitive decision-making.
The premise is deceptively simple. When you’re stuck between two choices—whether it’s picking an academic stream, staying in a comfortable job or leaping into uncertainty, handling workplace stress or navigating personal crises—conventional wisdom says weigh the pros and cons and choose. Nagpal says that’s precisely when you should stop, step back, and ask: “So?” That tiny, disruptive question, he argues, can crack open possibilities that binary thinking obscures.
This is Nagpal’s second book. His debut writing effort, Adapt: To thrive, not just survive, established him as a corporate leader willing to put management philosophy into readable prose. And it got him the credentials of a best selling author. Both books are now available as a bundle on Amazon for Rs 739, which positions them as a one-two punch for anyone trying to navigate career and life without succumbing to false choices.
The book doesn’t promise easy answers. What it offers instead is something rarer: the questions for deeper reflection and the space to think through responses that aren’t pre-packaged. In an age of algorithmic recommendations and decision-making outsourced to apps, that might be the most counterintuitive choice of all.
Nagpal’s four-decade career suggests he’s practised what he’s preaching. Moving from consumer goods to media and technology requires exactly the kind of lateral thinking his book champions. Whether Pivot helps readers replicate that trajectory remains to be seen. But in a world increasingly hostile to nuance, a 164-page argument for third options feels quietly radical.
DTH
GTPL Hathway posts FY26 revenue growth, Q4 slips into loss
Annual profit at Rs 5.88 crore; Q4 loss at Rs 5.90 crore
MUMBAI: A strong year met a shaky finish as GTPL Hathway closed FY26 on a high note only to stumble at the final hurdle. The company’s latest financials reveal a tale of two timelines: steady annual growth alongside a fourth-quarter dip that nudged it into the red. GTPL Hathway Limited reported total income of Rs 2,472.46 crore for the year ended March 31, 2026, marking a clear rise from Rs 2,223.00 crore in FY25. Revenue from operations stood at Rs 2,450.78 crore, up from Rs 2,193.38 crore a year ago, signalling consistent traction in its core cable TV and broadband business.
Yet, beneath the annual growth narrative, the March quarter told a different story. The company posted a net loss of Rs 5.90 crore in Q4 FY26, a sharp reversal from a profit of Rs 0.91 crore in the preceding quarter and Rs 8.15 crore in the same period last year. Total income for the quarter came in at Rs 618.46 crore, largely flat sequentially but higher than Rs 569.33 crore reported a year earlier.
The pressure was visible across the cost structure. Total expenses for the quarter rose to Rs 620.64 crore, marginally exceeding income and tipping the company into a loss before tax of Rs 7.87 crore. This compares with a profit before tax of Rs 1.22 crore in the December quarter and Rs 11.32 crore in Q4 FY25.
For the full year, however, profitability held firm. GTPL reported a net profit of Rs 5.88 crore in FY26, significantly lower than Rs 47.80 crore in FY25, but still in positive territory despite higher finance costs and operating expenses. Operating expenses alone climbed to Rs 1,884.53 crore for the year, up from Rs 1,603.53 crore, reflecting the increasing cost of running and scaling network infrastructure.
Finance costs also rose notably to Rs 33.57 crore in FY26 from Rs 22.19 crore in FY25, while depreciation and amortisation expenses stood at Rs 189.19 crore, underlining continued investments in assets and technology. Employee benefit expenses, however, declined to Rs 63.42 crore from Rs 77.08 crore, offering some relief on the cost front.
An exceptional item of Rs 5.69 crore during the year also weighed on profitability, compared with Rs 3.79 crore in the previous year. Meanwhile, tax adjustments, including deferred tax movements and prior-year adjustments, played a role in shaping the final earnings outcome.
Despite the quarterly wobble, the broader picture suggests a company still expanding its top line while grappling with margin pressures. With paid-up equity share capital unchanged at Rs 112.46 crore, the focus now shifts to whether GTPL can convert its revenue momentum into more stable, sustainable profitability in the coming quarters.
In short, FY26 may have delivered growth on paper but the closing chapter serves as a reminder that in business, as in broadband, consistency is everything.
