Cable TV
Hathway Bhawani Cabletel & Datacom FY-2014 loss triples, EBIDTA down
BENGALURU: Hathway Bhawani Cabletel and Datacom Limited (HBC&DL) reported consolidated loss of Rs 4.05 crore in FY-2014, 3.19 times the loss of Rs 1.27 crore in FY-2013. The company’s EBIDTA (including other income) in FY-2014 at Rs 4.74 crore (28.9 per cent of Total Income of Tot Inc) was down 19.4 per cent from the Rs 5.89 crore (32.1 per cent of Tot Inc) in FY-2013.
Note : (1)100,00,000=100 lakh = 1 crore = 10 million.
(2) Annual figures are on a consolidated basis, quarterly figures are standalone.
HBC&DL reported consolidated Tot Inc of Rs16.38 crore in FY-2014, which was 10.6 per cent lower than the Rs 18.32 crore in FY-2013. Its Q4-2014 standalone Tot Inc at Rs 4.08 core was 18.8 per cent more than the Rs 3.43 crore in the immediate trailing quarter and 16.8 per cent more than the Rs 3.5 crore in the year ago quarter Q4-2013.
Let us look at the other numbers reported by HBC&DL for FY-2014 and Q4-2014
The company’s consolidated Total Expense (Tot Exp) in FY-2014 at Rs 20.09 crore (123.4 per cent of Tot Inc) was 1.6 per cent more than the Rs19.78 crore (108.5 per cent of Tot Inc) in FY-2013.
Standalone Q4-2014 Tot Exp at Rs 5.06 crore (124.9 per cent of Tot Inc) was 16.4 per cent more than the Rs 4.35 crore in Q3-2014 and 12.2 per cent more than the Rs 4.51 crore (129.3 per cent of Tot Inc) In Q4-2013.
The company’s pay channel cost in FY-2014 at Rs 7.35 crore (54.2 per cent of Tot Inc) was 13 per cent less than the Rs 8.45 crore (46.3 per cent of Tot Inc) in FY-2013. The company’s standalone and consolidated pay channel cost for the year and the quarters is the same. Pay channel cost in Q4-2014 at Rs 0.87 crore (21.4 per cent of Tot Inc) was 57.1 per cent less than the Rs 2.02 crore (59.1 per cent of Tot Inc) in Q3-2014 and 63.2 per cent lower than the Rs 2.35 crore (67.3 per cent of Tot Inc) in Q4-2013.
The company’s consolidated inventories in FY-2014 have dropped by 24.5 per cent to Rs 2.39 crore from Rs 4.35 crore in FY-2013.
The company’s consolidated trade payables in FY-2014 has gone up by 47.3 per cent to Rs 6.66 crore from Rs 4.52 crore in FY-2013. HBC&DL’s trade receivables have also gone up in FY-2014 by 67.2 per cent to Rs 0.54 crore from Rs 0.32 crore in FY-2013.
Standalone EBIDTA details for the three quarters: Q4-2014 Rs (-0.77) crore: Q3-2014 Rs (-0.72) crore: Q4-2013 Rs (-0.8) crore (all the three quarter have reported negative EBIDTA.)
Results for the three quarters: Q4-2014 loss Rs 1 crore; Q3-2014 loss Rs 1.02 crore: Q4-2013 loss Rs 0.78 crore.
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.
