Cable TV
Bengaluru MSOs to start gross billing, packaging from April
MUMBAI: The multi-system operators (MSOs) in Bengaluru are determined to do all that is needed to be in the good books of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The latest is that 12 MSOs met today in Bengaluru to discuss the status of consumer application forms (CAFs), gross billing, local cable operators (LCO) agreements and packaging to ensure compliance with TRAI regulations on digitisation.
“This was a coordination meeting where we discussed about gross billing and also packaging,” informs a highly placed MSO who was present at the meeting.
The group of 12 MSO will soon come out with a joint advertisement that will be published in Bengaluru newspapers and will inform the consumers about gross billing and packaging.
The same was done in Delhi when the MSO Alliance jointly came out with an advertisement in local newspapers on the issue of gross billing.
“We are looking at forming a joint committee in order to ensure that the guidelines set by TRAI can be followed,” informs the source.
The timeline to start gross billing was also discussed in the meeting. “Gross billing in Bengaluru will start not later than April 2014,” informs Hathway Cable & Datacom MD & CEO Jagdish Kumar Pillai. Another important issue raised was that of the LCO-MSO agreement. “There were discussions on the revenue share for LCOs, the package rates etc,” adds Pillai.
A Bengaluru-based MSO on the condition of anonymity informs, “The MSOs discussed on getting into a truce so that none of the MSOs infringe on each other’s subscribers. No decision has been taken on this though. The MSOs have asked for a couple of days to come to a final decision.”
Another point discussed was that each LCO has to pay Rs 90 per subscriber per month to the MSO for using its services. “Discussions on packaging took place, which should be in place by April,” adds the Bengaluru based MSO.
Earlier this week, Hathway, which has around eight lakh subscribers in the city, had switched off set top boxes of close to two lakh subscribers as they had not filled CAFs. “We had switched off 2.5 lakh STBs. This was to ensure that we comply with the TRAI guidelines,” concludes Pillai.
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.
