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.
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.
