Cable TV
ACT Fibernet seeks funding; discloses financials
MUMBAI: In its prospectus with SEBI, ACT Fibernet submitted the financial details and is looking for fund-raising to expand the business across India. ACT Fibernet reported revenue of Rs 1,217 crore and EBITDA of Rs 211.67 crore in fiscal 2017.
In the six months ended 30 September 2017, the revenue was Rs 684 crore and EBITDA was Rs 286 crore. In fiscal 2016, ACT Fibernet posted revenue of Rs 874 crore and EBITDA of Rs 323 crore. Moreover, in fiscal 2015, it registered the revenue of Rs 618 crore and EBITDA of Rs 468 crore.
According to the reports, ACT Fibernet had approximately 1.28 million wired broadband internet customers and 0.71 million cable TV customers as at 31 December 2017. It reported a monthly ARPU of Rs 813 in fiscal 2017, Rs 756 in fiscal 2016 and Rs 684 in fiscal 2015 from retail wired broadband internet business.
The wired broadband internet market is expected to grow from 18.1 million subscribers as at 31 December 2016 to 24 million by 31 December 2021, according to a study by MPA.
Revenue from wired broadband internet service business accounted for 82.77 per cent, 90.31 per cent, 91.61 per cent and 91.38 per cent of total income for fiscals 2015, 2016 and 2017 and the six months ended 30 September 2017 respectively.
Revenue from cable TV service business accounted for 11.86 per cent, 6.13 per cent, 4.61 per cent and 5.21 per cent of total income from operations for fiscals 2015, 2016 and 2017 and the six months ended 30 September 2017 respectively.
Standing at the third largest position across the wired broadband internet service provider in India, the company bags the market share of 6.9 per cent as at 30 September 2017 according to MPA. Its fibre broadband network covers 5.4 million plus residential homes in the markets in which it operated as at 30 September 2017, according to MPA.
ACT Fibernet said it invested significantly to develop fibre broadband network. The majority of the fibre network utilises an advanced Metro Ethernet Active FTTX technology. It also utilises GPON technology in certain parts of the network.
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.
