Cable TV
After Manthan, SitiCable tries to poach DTH customers
KOLKATA: Sometime back, city-headquartered Manthan Broadband Services announced a scheme to poach Dish TV customers after the DTH provider created sub-brand ‘Zing’ to offer STBs free of cost and target regional markets.
Now, SitiCable Network is all set to follow in Manthan’s footsteps with an exchange scheme for DTH customers so they can opt for SitiCable services without having to pay anything for STBs as well as their installation in DAS I and II areas.
According to Kolkata director Suresh Sethiya, the scheme called ‘Value for Money’ will be launched next month. Sethiya further informed that SitiCable is aiming to install another 3 lakh STBs in West Bengal by the end of April. “Customers choosing SitiCable services instead of their DTH service providers will also have the option of going for channel packages that regular customers get and this is a value for money proposition for them,” he added.
How will SitiCable gain through the scheme? “Well, the scheme is to increase our market presence and not to increase our topline or bottomline. We want to be market leaders. And once we are able to convert DTH customers to our customers, we will think of monetizing it,” answered Sethiya.
On the installation of an additional 3 lakh STBs, he said that the company was eager to increase its penetration in the state as cable TV digitisation was in full swing across the eastern region. “We would always try to retain its number one position here,” he said. “We are upbeat about our penetration and growth in West Bengal. In North Bengal too, we are looking at some acquisition and forming a joint venture with local partners.”
While West Bengal is one of the most important markets for SitiCable in the eastern region, the company also has a good presence in Patna, Odisha and Jharkhand. A cable analyst said on the condition of anonymity, “The eastern region accounts for around 40 per cent of the revenue to SitiCable and is one of the most important markets for the company.”
The company is also present in six out of the seven north-eastern states. Commenting on Manthan’s scheme and now SitiCable, the cable analyst said, “In the coming months, we expect more such announcements by players of different categories to poach each others’ business and clients.”
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.
