Cable TV
Competition, provision for doubtful receivables paint Ortel’s bottom line red
BENGALURU: Higher competitive intensity in the market, delay in collections and issues pertaining to debt repayment are some of the reasons that Indian regional cable and broadband player Ortel Communications Ltd (Ortel) says that it has incurred a loss of Rs 95.28 crore for the year ended 31 March 2018 (FY 2018, year, fiscal under review).
Ortel president and CEO Bibhu Prasad Rath said, “Our FY 2018 was very challenging for the company due to delay in collections, higher competitive intensity in the marketplace as well as issues pertaining to debt repayment. We have been working on all these parameters with an objective to improve our overall performance in the future. As intimated in the previous quarter, the management reviewed the details of receivables and took a firm step by creating provision of Rs 679.4 million (Rs 67.94 crore) against doubtful receivables. This amount is primarily on account of disruption of services during the process of digitisation and acquisition of local operators. This significantly impacted our P&L in FY 2018.”
However, Rath is confident of a brighter 2019. He added, “We want to start afresh in FY2019 and restore our business momentum. We have also taken many steps for increasing the net growth of our broadband business. This will result in lesser churn and higher sales thereby increasing our subscriber base and broadband revenue.”
Segment numbers
Three segments contribute to Ortel’s revenue. They are cable TV; broadband; and infrastructure leasing. Revenues from both cable TV and broadband segments declined in FY 2018 as compared to FY 2017.
Ortel’s cable TV segment’s revenue declined 5.1 per cent in fiscal 2018 to Rs 145.41 crore from Rs 153.19 crore. The segment reported an operating loss of Rs 15.54 crore in FY 2018 as compared to an operating profit of Rs 61.48 crore in FY 2017.
Broadband segment’s revenue declined 35.5 per cent in FY 2018 to Rs 23.16 crore from Rs 35.91 crore in FY 2017. The segment’s operating profit declined to less than a sixth (declined 83.5 per cent) in FY 2018 to Rs 3.13 crore as compared to Rs 18.96 crore in the previous fiscal.
Ortel’s infrastructure and leasing segment had operating revenue of Rs 11.72 crore in FY 2018 which was 5.6 per cent more than the Rs 11.10 crore in FY 2017. The segment’s operating profit declined 15.5 percent in FY 2018 to Rs 8.92 crore from R 10.55 crore in FY 2017.
Let us look at the other numbers reported by Ortel
Ortel operating revenue for the year under review declined 9.4 per cent in FY 2018 to Rs 184.04 crore as compared to Rs 203.21 crore in the previous year. Total income including other income for fiscal 2018 reduced 10.1 per cent to Rs 186.20 crore as compared to Rs 207.07 crore in the previous fiscal. The company incurred an operating loss (negative EBITDA including other income) of Rs 34.85 crore in FY 2018 as compared to a positive EBITDA including other income of Rs 53.88 crore in the previous fiscal. As mentioned above, net loss for the period under review was Rs 95.28 crore as compared to a profit after tax of Rs 0.50 crore in FY 2017.
Ortel’s total expenditure in FY 2018 declined two per cent to Rs 202.63 crore from Rs 206.81 crore in fiscal 2017. Programming costs increased 17.7 per cent in FY 2018 to Rs 45.26 crore from Rs 38.45 crore in FY 2017. Bandwidth costs in the year under review increased 6.1 per cent to Rs 18.03 crore from Rs 16.99 crore. Finance costs in FY 2018 increased 9.7 per cent to Rs 29.19 crore from Rs 26.62 crore in FY 2017.
Also Read: Ortel takes on competition with new broadband plans
Ortel to issue shares worth Rs 8.75 cr to promoters
Ortel to move broadband business to new entity
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.
