Cable TV
After Pillai, Akhil Rampal quits Hathway
MUMBAI: A sequence of significant movements are taking place at Hathway Cable & Datacom Ltd. Akhil Rampal, general manager- marketing and communications, has resigned.
Rampal was leading marketing & communications for Hathway including its HD business on a pan-India level. He also led the launch of four new Hathway channels in the music and movies genre- DJAY, Home Theatre, Lamhe and Marathi Talkies including conceptualisation, brand architecture, channel identity, design and packaging and also further, led the brand revamp of the entire channel bouquet of Hathway.
Rampal joined Hathway in February 2015. Prior to joining Hathway, he worked with ESPN and then with Star India as senior manager- sports marketing for seven years apart from his earlier marketing roles in multiple sectors.
On 25 November, Hathway accepted the resignation of MD and CEO Jagdish Kumar Pillai. Pillai had taken over as the MD & CEO of Hathway in December 2012, and led the company’s growth through the digitisation phase establishing its position as one of the leading digital cable TV and broadband service providers in the country. Hathway had announced Rajan Gupta as its new managing director.
Earlier, Hathway elevated Rajaraman. S as the COO of the video business. Rajaraman was the senior VP of business operations, and played an important role in streamlining the business operations of the company including the Phase-III expansion.
MUMBAI: When margins wobble, liquidity talks and in Q3 FY25-26, cash did most of the talking. Den Networks Limited closed the December quarter with consolidated revenue of Rs.251 crore, marginally higher than the previous quarter but down 4 per cent year-on-year, even as profitability stayed resilient on the back of strong cash reserves and disciplined cost control.
Subscription income softened to Rs.98 crore, slipping 3 per cent sequentially and 14 per cent from last year, while placement and marketing income offered some cheer, rising 15 per cent quarter-on-quarter to Rs.148 crore. Total costs climbed faster than revenue, up 7 per cent QoQ to Rs.238 crore, driven largely by higher content costs and operating expenses. As a result, EBITDA dropped sharply to Rs.13 crore from Rs.19 crore in Q2 and Rs.28 crore a year ago, pulling margins down to 5 per cent.
Yet, the bottom line refused to blink. Profit after tax stood at Rs.40 crore, up 15 per cent sequentially and only marginally lower than last year’s Rs.42 crore. A healthy Rs.57 crore in other income helped cushion operating pressure, keeping profit before tax at Rs.48 crore, broadly stable quarter-on-quarter despite the tougher cost environment.
The real headline-grabber, however, sits on the balance sheet. The company remains debt-free, with cash and cash equivalents swelling to Rs.3,279 crore as of December 31, 2025. Net worth rose to Rs.3,748 crore, while online collections accounted for 97 per cent of total receipts, underscoring strong cash discipline across operations, including subsidiaries.
In short, while Q3 showed signs of operating strain, the financial backbone remains solid. With zero gross debt, steady profits and a formidable cash war chest, the company enters the next quarter with flexibility firmly on its side proving that in uncertain markets, balance sheet strength can be the best growth strategy.
