Cable TV
AP & Telangana MSO VSML opts for Nagra’s OpenTV content protection
MUMBAI: As the Indian cable television landscape gears up to get fully digitised by the end of this year with the Digital Addressable System (DAS) in place, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana based multi system operator (MSO) Venkata Sai Media Private Limited (VSMPL) has taken a step forward and opted for Kudelski Group’s Nagra anyCAST and OpenTV solutions for the launch of its digital cable and high-speed broadband offering.
Nagra is an independent provider of content protection and multiscreen television solutions. The launch marks the first commercial deployment of OpenTV middleware and the first user interface to support Telugu language with a cable operator in India. Nagra’s anyCAST content protection and OpenTV middleware technologies were selected by the operator in the context of the government-mandated transition to digital, to provide local cable operators in the state of Andhra Pradesh with access to a variety of digital TV services under the brand name ‘Media Vision.’ These will include 276 SD and 24 HD services with plans to introduce value added services (VAS) like video-on-demand (VOD), home shopping and more. “We are excited to deliver these new digital services to local operators as part of the ongoing digitisation efforts in India. Nagra was the vendor of choice in this effort providing pre-integrated conditional access and set-top box software solutions across multiple chipsets. This was a key factor in helping us deliver the services quickly and efficiently,” said VSMPL. “VSMPL has acted quickly to meet the digitisation timeline set forth by the Indian government and is now able to reach more local operators with our pre-integrated, scalable and fast time-to-market solutions. We are pleased to have been able to support them in this effort helping them deliver advanced functionalities and robust content protection to whole new cable market. We wish them much success with their new platform,” added Nagra SVP sales – Asia-Pacific Jean-Luc Jezouin. VSMPL’s new service will enable a new generation of digital TV services for local cable operators. It boasts built-in features powered by OpenTV middleware such as PVR and targeted advertising and a user interface adapted to the region’s multi-lingual landscape. Robust content protection is provided by the Nagra anyCAST Security Services Platform, which supports a range of services from basic free-to-view to enhanced content like 4K Ultra HD. VSMPL claims to have close to one million subscribers in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
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.
