Cable TV
Hathway FY-2014 Operating Income up 40 per cent; reports loss of Rs 141 crore
BENGALURU: Indian Multi System Operator (MSO) Hathway Cable & Datacom Limited (Hathway) reported a jump of 39.8 per cent in consolidated net Total Operating Income (Op Inc) to Rs 1583.25 crore in FY-2014 as compared to the Rs 1132.52 crore in FY-2013. The company reported a loss of Rs 140.69 crore in the current year as opposed to a PAT of Rs 37.59 crore in the previous fiscal.
Note : (1)100,00,000=100 lakh = 1 crore = 10 million.
(2) Annual figures are on a consolidated basis.
The company’s Operating EBIDTA (without other income) in FY-2014 at Rs 309.8 crore (19.57 per cent of Tot Inc) was 13.1 per cent more than the Rs 273.84 crore (24.3 per cent of Op Inc) in FY-2013. Operating EBIDTA in Q4-2014 at Rs 40.70 crore (13.9 per cent of Op Inc) was 10.8 per cent more than the Rs 36.74 crore (15.65 per cent of Op Inc) in Q3-2014 but less than half (46 per cent) of the year ago quarter’s EBIDTA of Rs 88.48 crore (38.3 per cent of Op Inc).
For Q4-2014, Hathway reported Op Inc of Rs 292.72 crore which was 24.7 per cent higher than the Rs 234.78 crore in the quarter ended 31 December 2013 and 26.6 per cent lower than the Rs 231.18 crore in the year ago quarter Q4-2013.
Let us look at the other FY-2014 and Q4-2014 numbers reported by Hathway.
Hathway reported consolidated Total expense (Tot Exp) in FY-2014 at Rs 1572.75 crore (99.3 per cent of Op Inc), 53.5 per cent higher than FY-2013 Tot Exp of Rs 1024.74 crore (90.5 per cent of Op Inc). Q4-2014 Tot Exp at Rs 313.53 crore (107.1 per cent of Op Inc) was 23.4 per cent more than the Rs 254.03 crore (108.2 per cent of Op Inc) in Q3-2014 and 67.8 per cent more than the Rs 186.89 crore (80.8 per cent of Op Inc) in Q4-2013.
A major expense for Hathway is Pay Channel Cost. The company paid Rs 666.42 crore (42.1 per cent of Op Inc) in FY-2014 towards this head, which was 54.1 per cent more than the Rs 432.51 crore (38.19 per cent of Op Inc) in FY-2013. Hathway paid Rs 115.41 crore (39.4 per cent of Op Inc) in Q4-2014 towards pay channel cost, which was 37.85 per cent more than the Rs 83.72 crore (35.7 per cent of Op Inc) in the immediate trailing quarter and more than double (2.33 times) the Rs 49.50 crore (21.41 per cent of Op Inc) in Q4-2013.
Hathway’s Stock-in-trade purchase (Stock Pur) more than doubled in FY-2014 (went up by 2.23 times) to Rs 13.85 crore (0.87 per cent of Op Inc) from Rs 6.20 crore (0.55 per cent of Op Inc) in FY-2013. Stock Pur in Q4-2014 at Rs 10.25 crore (3.5 per cent of Op Inc) was more than 8 times (8.36 times) the Rs 1.23 crore (0.52 per cent of Op Inc) in Q3-2014 and 6.28 times the Rs 1.63 crore (0.71 per cent of Op Inc) in Q4-2013.
The company’s results during the quarters were: Q4-2014 – Loss of Rs 49.27 crore; Q3-2014 – loss of Rs 36.86 crore: Q4-2013 – PAT of Rs 28.27 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.
