Cable TV
Bombay HC may hear Digicable license cancellation case next week
KOLKATA: The Bombay High Court may hear the Digicable Network license cancellation case next week most probably on Monday.
Earlier as well, the Bombay HC had granted relief to the multi-system operator (MSO) when it extended the order cancelling its permanent registration till 5 November. “The case was adjourned as the MIB counsel had sought around four weeks’ time to file replies in the matter,” says an analyst.
Jagjit Singh Kohli-promoted Digicable Network, which challenged the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s order on 13 September, had earlier got an ad interim stay against the order till 6 October.
“The hearing has been postponed for the next two to three days,” said Kohli.
The MSO had approached the court in September post which it got an ad interim stay till 6 October and subsequently till 5 November. The MSO had challenged the basis on which the security clearance was denied to the MSO.
A similar case is being heard in the Kolkata High Court on the petition filed by its JV -Digicable Comm on its licence cancellation. That case has been postponed to 28 November. The Kolkata based MSO has got a stay order on its cancellation twice and this being the third time. The court observed that when the MSO received its DAS licence in 2013, it was subject to security clearance from Home Ministry and the same has been denied in the order passed in September 2014.
In July, the ministry of information and broadcasting had cancelled the licences of Digicable Comm while in September the same was done for Digicable Network, on the basis of denial of security clearance by the Home Ministry.
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.
