Cable TV
Siti Networks to acquire 76% stake in Meghbela Infitel
KOLKATA: Multi-system operator (MSO) Siti Networks will pick up 76 per cent stake in Meghbela Infitel Cable & Broadband through its subsidiary Indian Cable Net Company. The board constituted investment committee of the company has approved the acquisition in a meeting held on 25 March 2021.
Meghbela Infitel was incorporated on 9 July 2015 under the Companies Act, 2013. It is engaged in MSO business and has a presence in Kolkata. 76 per cent equity stake in the paid-up equity share capital of the company will be acquired by Siti Networks’ subsidiary.
While consideration will be payable in cash, 7,600 shares will be acquired at Rs 10 each. “Meghbela is in the process of acquisition of cable TV business in Kolkata, which will help in expansion of the market of the company in Kolkata,” the company said in a regulatory filing on BSE.
Siti Networks posted Rs 390.6 crore total revenue for the third quarter of FY2020. It posted Rs 270.6 crore subscription revenue in the same quarter.
The MSO’s operating EBITDA surged to Rs 63.80 crore. This was achieved through strict control over expenses and operating efficiencies, the company stated. Its operating EBITDA margin for the quarter moved to 16.3 per cent through control of various cost elements.
Siti Broadband also expanded its footprint to 21 cities by the end of the quarter, with the net base increasing to 1.9 lakh.
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.
